Bobalou
by julieb716
Summary: A simple day of fun in the sun for the team. Danny/OC whump. Steve/OC angst. Aiming to post at least one chapter a week over the next few weeks until complete.
1. Bobbing Along

_In honor of Wenwalke's birthday and for cargumentluv's birthday belatedly. (The behemoth team-building one for cargumentluv is running rampant. I think IC's, TheDogo's and Phoebe's bunnies have raided my house)!_

_Normal disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my ideas and any characters I make up. _

***** H50 *****

His head hurt something fierce. He could barely lift it. When he tried to open his eyes, the brightness forced him to quickly close them. He tried moving his arms, but they didn't want to cooperate either. But they were better than his legs. He couldn't even feel them. Or his toes. Below his waist, he was numb. And on top of that he felt wet. All over. Where was he? What the heck happened? As his foggy brain tried to figure out the answers to his questions, someone shouted his name. But it sounded like it was coming from under water. "Glub glub" the voice may as well have been saying. He was so tired. Against his better judgment, he just let his body dictate the next course of action.

**_Three hours earlier_**

"Yo, Danno, you ready?" Steve hollered over the sound of the engine.

"Hold your horses, Rocket Man!" Danny shouted back.

"Come on, we can't be out here all day," Steve was yelling again.

"Stupid ninja SEAL," Danny mumbled to himself as he bobbed in the water.

"Switch places with me, Steve," Kono turned to talk to her boss.

"Okay, okay. I don't know what he's so afraid of. We've gone over this a hundred times," Steve groused. Moving to the front of the boat, he passed Kono as she was making her way to the back. Taking his place in the captain's seat, he stared out into the ocean. It was smoother than normal. A perfect day to be out. He was glad he had convinced Danny and Kono to forego Danny's surfing lessons to try something new. As the boat drifted in the waves, he was getting impatient for Danny to give the "Go" signal.

"Danny, you doing okay?" Kono shouted out to him as she leaned over the back of the boat.

"Yeah, just give me a couple more seconds. Rope's not in the best position," Danny yelled back. Even though the boat was in Neutral, it was still idling fairly loudly making it difficult for its occupants and the newbie skier to hear each other.

"Just let us know when you're ready," Kono said. She was watching him closely. She knew he was nervous. He had told her in private his knee was a little sore and had been acting up over the last week. He had begged her not to tell Steve. He did not want his partner to think he couldn't handle this. He'd never live it down. So here he was bobbing in the ocean, butt down, knees bent, trying to keep the skis pointed up out of the water with the ski rope between them. The boat gently pulled him as it rocked in the water keeping the ski rope taut.

Unfortunately Danny made a mistake. He meant to tell Kono he would let them know when he was ready, but his phrasing meant something else to the pilots of the boat.

"Yeah, okay," he yelled with '_I will'_ drowned out by the powering up of the engine as the 'skipper' pushed the throttle full out.

Danny came up out of the water faster than he had expected. Sputtering obscenities, it was all he could do to maintain his balance. But maintain it he did. Surprising not only his cheering squad, but himself as well.

Grinning from ear to ear, he stayed in the wake of the boat. Steve had a broad smile on his face, too, as he glanced over his shoulder to watch his partner skiing behind the boat, his hair blowing in the wind. He had not seen that kind of enjoyment on Danny's face in a long, long time.

"Hey, boss, I think he's having a good time. Whatcha think?" Kono asked.

"Yeah, I think you're right," Steve chuckled. Steve headed for the area where Chin, Jerry and Lou and his family were preparing lunch on the beach for the crew. Danny's turn at skiing was the last before lunch. Steve, Kono and Chin had each taken a turn or two before Danny.

Jerry had blanched when he was invited, practically passing out from fear when Steve had suggested he try skiing. Now the beach and food part he could handle, but skiing no way. At Jerry's frightened look, Lou's deep baritone laugh could be heard down the corridors of the Hawaii 5-0 offices. When Steve had asked Lou if he wanted to try it, his laughter came to a grinding halt. His exact words were, "Oh, hell, no. I have a wife and two children to support. I can't be doing that from the bottom of the ocean."

Remembering the conversations and the reactions, Steve was laughing out loud. He had at least cajoled his recalcitrant partner into trying it. Kono, of course, was well versed with all things _ocean _and jumped at the opportunity. Chin just chuckled at her response and was willing to join in. He had skied many times and actually enjoyed it. He was glad he was able to borrow one of his many cousin's ski boat for the day.

As Steve headed to the private inlet, Danny was leaning his body to the right with the natural path made by the boat's wake. He couldn't believe how great this felt. As Steve slowed the boat, Danny let go of the rope and sunk gently into the shallower waters of the cove, the skis automatically coming off his feet. He grabbed them as he stood up in the cold water and scrunched his feet and toes in the sand. Chin, Jerry and Lou and family were cheering him. Grace was smiling as she ran out to greet him, her bare feet slapping the water.

"Danno, you did it!" Grace was bouncing with excitement.

"What did you expect from your old man, huh? Of course I did it. Couldn't let your Uncle Steve show me up, ya know?" Danny laughed hugging Grace to his side as they walked up the beach together.

Danny felt better than he had in a while. All the awfulness of Matt's death and his actions afterwards were gradually diminishing their hold over him. He still had nightmares and couldn't get Reyes' face, his terrified expression when Danny pulled the trigger, out of his mind totally. He still suffered extreme guilt from doing something so out of character. He knew he had a temper and an extremely low tolerance for anyone hurting those he loved, especially family. But it didn't excuse his behavior. Not in his mind. Only with some encouragement and support from Steve had he been able to start to come to terms with it.

Lou watched the grill while his wife and daughter set up the table with all the paper goods and utensils. Jerry retrieved all the condiments from the cooler, placing them on the end of the table nearest the grill to hold down the fluttering tablecloth. Lou's son hadn't shown much interest in helping out, but Lou knew when the food was ready, he would be the first in line. Lou glanced at his son whose sullenness over the last several months had begun to cause the father concern. He decided talking to Danny about it later might be a good idea. Father to father.

"Hey, buddy, get the meat out, would you? Grill's ready and I think our boating crew will be hungry when they get in," Lou directed his comments to his son who moved slowly to comply with his father's request. "Don't you think so, Danny?" Lou said as Danny made his way to the grilling area, Grace walking over to help with setting up the table.

"Ha! I know I'm hungry. Kono and SuperSEAL will dig in with the best of us." Danny was eyeing all the goodies on the table. Besides hamburger and hot dogs, Kono's mom had made some of her scrumptious chicken salad and potato salad for Kono to bring. He would never admit it, but pineapple in chicken salad was actually really good. He was surprised. And then to top it off, a little fresh ginger in the potato salad was awesome.

Everybody had contributed to put forth a mountain of food. Steak and salmon in addition to burgers and hot dogs, made Danny's mouth water. Add all the side dishes, including Hawaiian fresh fruit in individual carved out coconuts prepared by Lou's wife, made this a feast for the Gods.

Steve and Kono had secured the boat after Danny's turn at skiing and were rapidly making their way up the beach. They were both laughing over a private joke. Danny watched as Kono skipped up the beach, happiness and joy dancing across her features. Steve was showing off his well-toned abs as usual. No shirt. Typical, Danny thought. Of course he could cut him a break considering they were on the beach. What better place to flex his muscles.

Danny was happy. His team was relaxed and having a good time. And his daughter was there. What more could he ask for.

"Hey, everybody. First batch of hamburgers and dogs are up. Taking special orders," Lou bellowed. Everyone grabbed plates, napkins and utensils and amidst friendly banter piled their plates full of food. The light breeze was a soothing addition to the heat of the noon sun. And the private inlet was ideal, offering some shade from the native Hawaiian trees. It was indeed a wonderful place to have a picnic with ohana.

Laughter and conversation whispered through the trees. Enjoying each others' company was a welcome respite from the hectic week they had had.

After filling themselves they had all taken on various cleanup duties. Lou's wife and daughter were packing up the leftovers, which wasn't much with this group, and placing the plastic tubs and paper goods in bags. Jerry had bundled up all the trash and was securing it in the back of Steve's truck to dispose of properly later. While Lou cleaned the grill, his son watched. Kono was gathering up all the towels and chairs on the beach. Steve, Danny and Chin had gone down to the boat to take it to the ramp where they had left the trailer.

"Hey, Steve?" Danny asked as he was securing the outboard motor.

"Yeah, Danno?"

"Can we take a few more runs before we head in?"

Steve chuckled. Chin raised an eyebrow. "You enjoyed it, huh, Danny?" Chin asked.

"Well, yeah, it was awesome," Danny replied. "I didn't think my knee would hold up, but it actually did pretty good."

Steve jerked his head up. "What's that about your knee, Danny?"

_Aw, shit. _Danny groaned. "It's just been a little sore from all the running around we did this week. Didn't help jumping over hedges and curbs and, oh yeah, some cars to catch the stupid guys. Why do they always run?"

"Why didn't you say something? No wonder you were hesitant to go water skiing," Steve said, now staring at Danny's knee. "It does look a little swollen."

"Good grief, Steven, I am a grown man. I should know if I can handle a little sports activity, ya know?" Danny complained.

"Yeah, well," Steve said while still looking at Danny's knee. Danny jumped back as Steve's hand came in for a landing on his knee.

"Hey, Mother Hen, enough! It's okay. I promise," Danny replied testily. "Now answer my first question. Can we do a few more runs? I'll even pay for the gas and oil."

Both Steve and Chin burst out laughing.

"Okay, okay," Steve chuckled. "Well, let's go back up and see who wants to go."

Practically running back to the picnic area, Danny was thrilled they could go out again. _If he only knew..._

**_~ to be continued ~_**


	2. Cue Jaws Theme

_Well, here we go... off into the wild blue ocean. _

_Took a little longer to post this chapter than I wanted. Being sick sucks and seeing different doctors every day this week wasn't much better. _

**_Note:_ **_Because__ the show has not mentioned Lou's wife's or son's names, I picked a name. I couldn't say 'the boy' or 'buddy' throughout. So I settled on Derrick. No rhyme or reason for the choice. _

***** H50 *****

Danny's excitement was infectious. Everyone was surprised, especially Lou, when his son suddenly decided he wanted to try skiing. Lou was overjoyed that Derrick had shown some interest in participating. He had been so quiet and reserved all day; it made Lou's heart swell like an ocean wave reaching its highest crest.

"Hey, I don't mind you trying, buddy, but you need some quick lessons and safety instructions, okay?" Lou told his son.

"No problem, Dad. Do you think Commander McGarrett would mind showing me?" he asked shyly. It was really difficult to imagine this child was Lou's son. He was more like his quiet and studious mother, than his larger than life, outgoing father.

"Steve, you mind showing my boy here the right way _not_ to break his neck skiing?" Lou bellowed to Steve who was on the boat prepping it for the early afternoon skiing. Glancing up from winding the ski ropes in the back of the boat, Steve smiled at Lou's son and said, "Sure. No problem. Love to. Just let me finish up here and I'll be on the beach in a second."

"We ain't goin' nowhere," Lou replied, his arm draped over his son's shoulder.

"You want some pointers from a newbie?" Danny asked studying the young man. He had noticed the boy's reticence and didn't know if that was just his personality or if something was bothering him. His intuition guessed the latter.

"Sure, if you don't mind, Detective Williams."

"That's Master Detective Extraordinaire to you," Danny joked. When the boy's face fell and he looked embarrassed, Danny let out a laugh. Putting his hand on the boy's shoulder, he whispered conspiratorially, "How 'bout we skip formal titles and you can just call me Danny."

"Okay," Derrick hesitantly smiled. Just a little.

"Let's size the skis first," Danny explained. He was glad Steve thought ahead to bring several lengths of skis. Walking over to the skis, Danny picked out the ones he felt would be best for the boy's height and size.

As Derrick slid his feet into the rubber boots, Danny adjusted them to fit snuggly but not too tight. He then proceeded to explain the basics to him - starting position, the importance of bending your knees for balance, keeping the rope taut and allowing the boat to pull you up. He also taught him the hand signals to slow down, speed up, go left, go right and "I'm ready to stop".

"One of the most important things to remember is not to panic. The other thing, and this is really important, let go of the rope if you fall. Don't try to hold on. You don't want the boat to pull you."

Noticing the panicked look on the boy's face, Danny put a hand on his arm and bent down to eye level with him. "You will fall at some point. Don't worry, we all fall when we're learning and even after when we think we're invincible, like SuperSEAL over there." The boy grinned. He had heard Commander McGarrett and Detective Willams banter before and found it funny.

"The spotters on the boat will let the driver know you've fallen and they'll come back for you," Danny continued.

Warming up to Danny, Derrick was engrossed in what he was learning. He was so excited to be doing something that his dad would be proud of. He really wanted to show him he could do it.

"When you're ready to quit, you give the signal. The boat will slow down at the drop off point. Just let go of the rope. You'll sink in the water and the skis should come off your feet automatically. Grab the skis and make your way to the beach, okay?" The boy nodded. "If the water is a little too deep for you, just shove the skis in front of you and swim or dog paddle in," Danny grinned at him.

"Think you got it? Before we get in the water, we'll do a practice pull on the beach. Just slide your feet into the ski boots and I'll pull you with a rope, okay? This is just to make sure you have the correct position once you're up," Danny told him.

Lou was standing off to the side watching Danny teach his boy. He was amazed at Danny's patience with him. He was the epitome of a caring father and coach. Steve had stopped what he was doing on the boat and was watching the two as well. He had such respect for Danny's abilities, both as a detective and as a parent. Even though he always teased him about being too sensitive, it was precisely this personality trait that endeared Danny to others, especially kids.

"Looks like Danny's doing a pretty good job, don't you think, Lou?" Steve called down from the boat.

"Yeah, for a newbie I guess Williams is all right," Lou joked.

Overhearing Lou, Danny good-naturedly spat back, "A newbie? Who you calling a newbie? I am a surfer, man. Skiing is second nature to us beach boys." Both Steve and Lou had a good chortle at that.

Steve jumped down from the boat and waded in to the beach. "Let's get him in the water, huh, Danny?" Steve prompted.

"Want to get in the water and try the position for take-off?" Danny asked the boy.

"Hey, don't scare him, Williams. He's not taking off like an airplane," Lou growled.

"With McGarrett as the pilot, he may as well be," Danny laughed. Steve glared at him. Danny ignored him and looked down at the boy and said, "You ready?"

"Sure," Derrick excitedly responded.

/*/*/*/

The girls were having the time of their lives. The Hawaiian sun was beating down on them and glistening off the azure water as they left their docked yacht. Waving goodbye to Wendy's parents who remained on the deck drinking Mai Tais, Wendy and her best friend Luvie scooted out of their private inlet on Wendy's new jet skis.

Wendy lived a privileged life and wanted for nothing. A trifle spoiled only child, she rarely followed the rules, making them up as she went. 16 going on 30, her parents gave her free rein. Luvie was more of a follower and shy. She was ecstatic when the outgoing, cheerleader Wendy picked her as her best friend their last year in junior high. Never one to go after boys, she could count on Wendy to have a flock of them around her. It was a win win friendship for both of them. Wendy got all the attention, Luvie got to feel important as Wendy's best friend.

As they left the inlet, Wendy was showing Luvie some basic maneuvers on the jet ski. Luvie intently watched. She had never been on a jet ski before, she was excited and wanted to do it right.

"You ready, Luv?" Wendy asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Luvie laughed.

"Then we're out of here," Wendy said as she hit the accelerator of her rose red jet ski. Luvie followed on her royal blue duplicate.

/*/*/*/

Steve, Danny, Lou, Derrick and Samantha were on the first crew. It had been decided that they would work with Derrick first as the water was still relatively smooth where they were. For a first time skier, the conditions were ideal.

They pulled away from the cove and when the water was a reasonable depth, Steve put the boat in idle.

"All set, Derrick?" Danny asked.

"I think so," he responded, fear written all over his face.

Danny went over to ensure his life jacket was fastened correctly and whispered in his ear, "Just remember what we went over. You'll be fine." Standing up, Danny said loudly, "I think we have one primo skier ready to go."

Lou made his way over to his son. "Just have fun and don't worry about trying to be perfect."

"Okay, Dad, I will."

"Alrighty then. Let's get you in the water, shall we? Once you're in, I'll pass the skis out to you," Danny said.

"Okay," Derrick said, his voice trembling a little.

"When you get the skis on and in position, I'll toss the rope out to you. Just relax and do what we talked about. Once you're up just stay in the wake of the boat. It's smoother skiing. The first run will be a short one."

Danny helped him onto the edge of the boat and he jumped in. Dropping the skis in the water, Danny was impressed how quickly he got them on considering how awkward it could be.

Moving to the back of the boat in his position as spotter, Danny threw the rope out to the boy. Derrick grabbed the rope on the first try surprising everyone. He was making this look like he had done it a hundred times before. He quickly got in position and with barely a pause, gave the signal to go.

Danny watched him while Lou had his video camera out to capture the moment. The boy was up and held his position for about 5 seconds before tumbling into the water. Danny was proud he had let go of the rope like he was taught. As the boat circled back, Danny reached down and grabbed one of the errant skis in the water.

"We'll bring them back to you, okay?" he shouted over the noise of the engine. Derrick just nodded.

When he had the skis back on, Steve guided the boat skillfully and safely, bringing the rope to him.

"Hey, McGarrett, you're not a bad skipper, you know?" Lou said.

"Thanks, I think," Steve replied chuckling.

Once again to Danny's amazement, Derrick grabbed the rope on the first pass and hung on. He was mastering the basics really quickly.

"Let us know when you're ready," Danny shouted to him. And within a few seconds the boy was trying again. And this time he stayed up.

"Wow, second try and he's really skiing," his sister said.

"Steve, do we want to go out a little and then head back to the cove?" Danny shouted.

"Sounds good," Steve shouted back and adjusted his course.

"I can't believe he's doing so well so quickly," the proud papa grinned.

"Hey, he has a great coach," Danny huffed. At that moment light flickering off what appeared to be something metallic in the distance caught Danny's eye. There were two small specks that were coming in their direction.

"Lou, can you watch him for a second? If he falls, just holler," Danny said.

"Sure."

Danny made his way up to Steve and pointed. "Steve, can you make out what that is?"

Squinting, Steve responded, "Looks like it could be another boat or two. They look like they're side by side. Why would they be travelling like that?"

"Heck if I know. Do we need to be concerned?" Danny asked.

"Only if you believe in worst case scenarios, Danno," Steve ribbed him.

"Gee, thanks, _friend,_" Danny responded sarcastically.

"Just teasing, Danno. I'll keep an eye on them," Steve answered.

Danny turned to retake his point position. He was pleased to see the boy staying upright and in control. He was doing exceptionally well for his first time out.

"He's doing great, guys," Danny shouted to Lou and Steve. Samantha was grinning as she watched her younger brother ride the wake. She was impressed how quickly he grasped the techniques, giving her courage to try.

"Hey, Lou, you sure you don't want to give it a go?" Danny asked him as the detective continued to watch Derrick.

"Nah, I don't think there are skis long enough and sturdy enough for me. Besides, Steve would deliberately not pull me up fast enough so I would fall flat on my face," he growled.

"Daddy, the Commander wouldn't do that!" Samantha exclaimed. Danny and Lou exchanged a look and then both started laughing.

"What?" Samantha asked.

"Not in front of you, maybe, but given an opportunity, I dunno," Lou smirked noticing Steve looking in the rear view mirror at them, glaring amusedly.

Lou let out a raucous laugh, Danny followed in turn, Steve grinning like a madman.

/*/*/*/

Wendy and Luvie raced each other, skimming the top of the water, making small wakes. Luvie had never felt so free, her long dark hair tied in a pony tail that was bouncing along with the jet ski's rhythm. Wendy looked over at her and pointed at something sparkling in the distance. Tilting her head in the direction of the object, Wendy turned her jet ski towards it indicating Luvie to follow.

/*/*/*/

Danny had given Derrick the hand gesture telling him they were heading back to the cove. Derrick nodded, indicating he understood.

Lou was as proud a papa as could be. He had handed over the video camera to Samantha who was focused solely on her brother. She wanted to capture his successful run all the way to the end.

They still had a little ways to go and Steve handled the boat like a pro. Derrick was managing the waves like a ballet dancer, graceful and precise.

Glancing portside, Danny was concerned when he realized the shiny specks he saw before were actually jet skis.

"Hey, Steve, whoever's on those things are going way too fast and it looks like they're coming straight at us," Danny said worriedly. "You think we should change direction or maintain our course?"

Looking over his left shoulder, Steve saw why Danny was concerned. "I'll signal them to slow down and to turn away from us, Danny." Satisfied that Steve was on top of the potential problem, Danny turned back to the boy.

At that precise moment Derrick lost his balance. He let go of the rope, but it appeared to Danny that he was panicking, bobbing like a cork and trying to grab at the loose skis floating off in opposite directions. Danny quickly let Steve know Lou's son was down and turned his attention back to the boy.

"Derrick, calm down," he yelled over the engine noise. Getting no coherent response from a clearly frightened boy, Danny shouted to Steve to slow the boat down and circle back. Quickly stepping out of his deck shoes, Danny climbed on the edge of the boat and dove into the water towards the floundering Derrick.

Lou was getting ready to follow suit when Steve grabbed his arm to stop him. "I need you to stay onboard, Lou. Danny's a good swimmer and he'll calm Derrick down." Noticing the hesitation on Lou's face, Steve continued, "Really, Lou, I may need your help here. Danny is good with him." He gave Lou's arm a reassuring squeeze as he started the wide circle back to Derrick's position, keeping an eye on Danny's progress towards him.

/*/*/*/

The girls had finally figured out the object they were racing towards was a ski boat. Their attention so focused on getting closer, they didn't realize it had been pulling a skier. A skier who was down. And they certainly didn't see the man swimming to help him.

**_~ to be continued ~_**

_Cue Jaws theme... :-)_

_Any ideas who Wendy and Luvie are in real life? Two guesses. ;-)_

_For anybody foaming at the mouth for Danny whump, next chapter, I promise. _

_Mea culpa, Ms. Phoebe for not thanking you for your awesome beta work on the first post. You are the best. _


	3. FUBAR

_Thanks for all the reviews, favs and follows. Much appreciated. _

_Note: Starboard = right side of boat; port = left; aft = rear; bow or forward = front_

_PWC = personal water craft; Kawasaki manufactures Jet Ski; terms often used interchangeably_

_Oh, and my medical degree is compliments of the Internet research engines. As is my knowledge of jet skis. I have water skied, but that's a discussion for another day. _

_Let the whump begin..._

***** H 5-0 *****

In the middle of turning the boat around to head back towards Danny's and Derrick's position, Steve was stunned with what was unfolding before his eyes. The jet skis were upon them in a blink of an eye. Samantha was screaming. Lou had jumped into action, racing to the starboard side of the boat to pull her away from the oncoming hit from the red jet ski. Wrapping her in his arms, he rushed her portside protected by his large frame. Crouching down with her enveloped in his embrace, he waited for the hit.

There was another scream as Wendy was jostled off her jet ski. She was now in the water watching as the jet ski careened off the front starboard side of the boat. She was crying as the jet ski slammed into the boat several times. Steve was desperately trying to maneuver the boat away from all the people now in the water so as not to cause any more injuries. He quickly switched the engine off when he determined everybody in the water was relatively safe and not in any danger from being hit by the boat.

He saw Wendy off to the right. Looking in front and to the left of him, he saw Derrick trying to get to Danny who was no longer swimming but floating, face down. The other girl had flipped her jet ski near the rear portside of the boat. She was between the boat and Derrick's and Danny's position. It appeared the bottom half of her body was caught underneath the jet ski and she was fighting to get out from under. The jet ski was floating. For now. She was terrified with good reason. Sizing up the situation in about three seconds, Steve knew what he had to do.

He shouted, "Derrick, get to Danny and get his head out of the water. Check to make sure he's breathing. Keep his head out of the water. Understand?" Steve could only hope Derrick was smart enough to know what to do. He was young, but not stupid.

Although Derrick was scared, his survival instincts kicked in and he yelled back, "Got it!"

"Lou, stay here with Samantha. I may need you to move the boat," Steve ground out tersely.

"Right," Lou glanced up at Steve worryingly. He still had Samantha wrapped in his arms. She had stopped screaming, but now she was crying and trembling.

"It's okay, sweetheart. It'll be okay," Lou tried to comfort her.

"You from the red PWC, are you hurt?" Steve asked yelling over the side of the boat at Wendy. Receiving a shaky _'no'_, Steve continued, "Can you swim?" That seemed like a stupid question, but you never knew with underaged water sports enthusiasts. Sometimes, hell, most times, their judgment wasn't the best. Nodding her head _'yes'_, Wendy was still crying. "Make your way to the back of the boat and hang on, okay?" Steve was angry, but for now he had to keep his cool. It was up to him to ensure this situation didn't get any more FUBAR than it already was.

Turning back to Lou, Steve quickly explained, "Derrick looks like he's okay. I have to help Danny and the rider on the other PWC. Call Chin." With that Steve dove off the side of the boat closest to Danny and Derrick. And towards the girl trapped by the blue jet ski.

/*/*/*/

Steve was at Luvie's side in a matter of seconds. Thank God she was wearing a life preserver. Steve guessed her to be about 15, maybe 16 years old. Glancing quickly in Danny's direction, he saw that Derrick had reached him and had his hands under his head lifting it out of the water. Unfortunately, he also saw a mix of blood and water streaming down the right side of Danny's head from a cut that appeared to be on his right temple. _Shit. _

"Lou, throw me out an extra life preserver," Steve yelled in the boat's direction. A life preserver came sailing out into the water a few feet from Steve.

Lou shouted from the boat, "What can I do to help?"

"Stay there with Samantha and keep control of the boat. Help the girl from the red PWC onboard. Check her over for injuries. Keep her as still as you can," Steve responded back.

"Got it," Lou said turning back to his daughter and making his way back to the boat ladder to help Wendy aboard.

Focusing his attention back on Luvie, Steve asked, "Where are you hurt?"

"M..my leg's st..stuck. Is it g..going to s..sink? Am I g..going to dr..drown?" she stuttered fearfully.

"Stay calm. It will float for a while. I need to get a look at what's going on with your leg." Steve had a pretty good idea since the ski rope from the boat had disappeared in the water near the blue PWC.

Turning quickly back to Derrick, he asked, "Did you check to see if he's breathing?"

"I think he is. The water ripples where his nose is barely out of the water."

Smart boy, Steve thought, turning back to Luvie. "Okay. I need you to stay as calm as possible. The PWC is not going to sink any time soon, so you're okay. Understand?"

"O..okay," she stuttered. "Wh..what's a P..PWC?"

Steve just stared at her for a second. "We'll have a discussion about that after we get everybody safe, all right?"

Luvie nodded her head _'yes'_. Steve recognized the terror in her eyes and was not going to waste time being angry or going into the rights and wrongs of water craft safety right then. Later. Much later. After he knew Danny was safe.

"I'll be right back. Hang onto the _jet ski _just like you're doing, okay?" Steve gently told her. Luvie just nodded, her teeth chattering more from nerves than cold.

Steve grabbed the floating life preserver and made his way over to Derrick and Danny. Upon closer examination, he saw that what he initially thought was a cut on Danny's right temple appeared to be more of a laceration, a slice. It was bleeding heavily and was hard to tell at the moment how bad it really was. But Danny was unconscious which was not a good thing. Ascertaining that Danny was at least breathing, albeit shallowly, Steve was for the moment relieved. Slightly.

"Derrick, I'm going to put this life preserver around Danny's neck to keep his head out of the water. We don't want to move him too much though. We don't know the extent of his injuries yet and we could cause more damage unintentionally. Okay?"

Surprisingly Derrick was all business. For all his youth, he had stepped up to the plate and put his fears behind him to help Danny. Steve was grateful he didn't have another fearful kid to deal with right now. With all the gentleness he had, Steve pushed the life preserver into the water beneath Danny's head and neck allowing the natural buoyancy to support his neck. He was praying Danny didn't have a neck or spinal injury. As he was finishing strapping the preserver awkwardly around his head, Danny mewled softly.

"Danny?" Steve looked at his face hopefully. There was nothing else. Steve was inches from his face and he could feel his breath puffing out. _Thank God._

"Derrick, you all right?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry, Commander," he said, his voice quivering with emotion.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Let's focus on getting everybody out of here. We can talk later. Okay?" Steve reassured him.

Derrick nodded, holding back his tears. He knew he _did _have something to be sorry about and it was tearing him apart.

"Stay with Danny. I have to help her," Steve said pointing at Luvie about ten feet away from them. Derrick nodded again. Lou was busy helping Wendy onto the boat otherwise he would have known something besides the accident was bothering his son. He would have been able to see the guilt on his face from a mile away.

/*/*/*/

After swimming back to Luvie and calming her once more, Steve dove underneath the PWC. He very quickly figured out the problem. Luvie's leg was trapped between the jet ski's seat and the ski rope which had become entangled with it when the PWC flipped. The rope was pulling harshly against her leg. At a minimum, she'd have nasty rope burns and bruises. Steve just hoped she didn't have any other more serious injuries.

He returned to the surface briefly to explain to Luvie what was going on and what he had to do to free her leg. He wanted so badly to be by Danny's side, but he couldn't leave her like this. The circulation was being cut off in her leg and he wouldn't risk her losing a limb. At least he knew Danny was breathing and that Chin, and help, was on their way. He hoped. On both counts.

*/*/*/

Laughing and chasing Kono and Jerry on the beach, Grace was having a great day. She was going to attempt skiing after Steve and Danno got back. She and Chin, along with Kono, Jerry and her dad would then go out. Chin had done for her what Danno had done for Derrick, teaching her the basics. Grace had watched her dad teaching Derrick, but having hands-on instruction with Chin was good, too. She would use the same skis as Derrick so they had to wait for the others to come back in before they could size them for her. She was so excited.

Chin was enjoying the early afternoon sun with Mrs. Grover as they relaxed on the beach.

"So how long have you been with 5-0?" she asked.

"Long enough," Chin chuckled.

"Oh?" she reacted.

Smiling, Chin responded, "I love it. Most exciting job I've ever had. Great group of people to work with. And your husband fits right in. He's a great addition to the team."

Renee smiled softly. "Thank you for saying that. We were really worried when Lou lost his job with SWAT. It was a Godsend that the Commander asked him to join 5-0," she sighed.

Chin looked at her knowingly, "I'm glad you feel that way. I understand probably better than most what he must have felt after losing his job. For what it's worth, I would have done exactly what he did to save Samantha." He paused, hoping he hadn't crossed any lines.

"Thank you. It was hard. But I wouldn't have expected him to do anything differently. He's a good man and a good father."

"He is. A lot like Danny in that regard," Chin acknowledged looking out to the water watching for the rest of his team to return.

Grace came running up to him and expectantly asked, "When will they be back?" Looking at her waterproof watch, she said authoritatively, "They only have 5 more minutes. Uncle Steve promised I'd get a chance to ski today." She tried not to pout. Danno said it was really unbecoming for a mature 12-year old young lady to do. So she really, really tried.

"They'll be back soon, keiki," Chin smiled at her. Just then Chin's phone vibrated in his shirt pocket.

/*/*/*/

Steve was very worried about Danny. He had yet to regain consciousness according to Derrick and from what he could see that was true. But he also saw that he was breathing from the gentle rise and fall of his chest. Hopefully, he had just been knocked out and it wasn't any worse than that. Somehow he didn't think that was the case.

Taking a deep breath he submersed himself and swam to the underside of the blue jet ski. The ski rope had wedged its handle in the steering wheel after the rope had caught Luvie's leg against the seat. It would be a simple cut of the rope and she would be free. Although he wasn't particularly concerned about whether they could right the jet ski, he knew if they wanted to salvage it, they couldn't leave it upside down for long. But his concern was to get her leg free and her into the relative safety of the boat.

Smiling to himself knowing what Danny would say, he retrieved his knife from the pocket of his cargo shorts, quickly slicing the rope, releasing Luvie's leg. He would let someone else worry about removing the ski rope from the jet ski later. A quick cursory look at her leg and it wasn't too bad. Scraped and bruised, but it would be okay. He was more worried about her going into shock. He patted her leg to let her know she was free.

Resurfacing, Steve came up by Luvie's side. "You're okay. Your leg doesn't look too bad." Steve comforted her. She was damned lucky that she wasn't hurt worse.

"O..okay. T..thank y..ou. I..is y..yo..u..r friend, okay?" Luvie asked.

"For the moment. Do you think you can make your way over to the boat?" Steve asked her.

"I think so," she responded.

"You're not hurt anywhere else are you?" Steve watched her closely.

"I don't think so. I'm just cold," she shakily replied.

Steve schooled his facial features. He didn't want her to know that he was concerned about shock and dehydration. What people don't realize is the possibility of dehydration when jet skiing. It happens without them even knowing. Combined with the trauma of nearly hitting a boat and its occupants in the water, and then rolling the jet ski, she was terrified and shook up. Who wouldn't be?

"Okay, let's get you over there to be with your friend. What's her name?" Steve asked.

"W..wend..dy," Luvie said still stuttering. Steve was gently maneuvering her to head towards the boat. Even though the ending postion of her jet ski was unfortunate, she was at least close to the boat and didn't have far to go.

/*/*/*/

It appeared Lou had everything under control on the boat. He had Wendy on board, sitting on the 2-seat bench behind the captain's seat. Lou had wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and was checking her over for injuries.

"Lou!" Steve yelled to him.

"Yeah?"

"What's Chin's ETA?"

"He called the Coast Guard and Water Patrol for this area. They're dispatching two mobile units to your position right now. A medivac unit is on standby. How's Danny doing? Anybody else hurt?" Lou called out to him.

"Danny's got the worst of it. Luvie," he turned to her, "right?" she nodded _'yes'. _"Luvie is shook up, but aside from a nasty rope burn and some bruises, she appears to have escaped serious injury. I'm going to get her and then Derrick back to the boat."

"Okay. Rescue and the medics should be here soon. Chin's coming on our Sea-doo. So much for not putting it in the water today, huh?" Lou tried to joke.

"Yeah," Steve sighed surveying all the destruction around him. He had a pretty good idea what happened based on the position of the blue PWC. The fact that it was between the boat and the boys, he could surmise that Luvie's jet ski had hit the water ski, splitting it in half and proceeded to continue on its destructive path going over the boat's ski rope in the process. It was obvious to him that she had no idea how to judge the time or distance for her jet ski to come to a halt. He shook his head in disgust. So many people don't understand the power and steering of a jet ski once it's turned off. He would rectify that lack of knowledge as soon as they were all out of this mess.

"Lou, help Luvie aboard. Be careful with her leg, but I want you to check her out."

"Will do."

"I'm going back to Danny and then I'm sending Derrick back to the boat, too."

"All right. Is Danny okay?"

"I'm not sure how badly he's hurt. I don't want to move him until the medics get here. There is a potential risk of a neck injury. So better to leave him where he is at the moment," Steve replied.

"Okay."

Turning to Derrick and swimming to Danny's side, Steve took a quick look at him. His eyes were slightly open. Half slits, the little of his eyes he could see, he knew that Danny had a mild concussion at the very least, if not worse.

"Hey, buddy. Can you hear, me?" Steve said softly.

"Uhh," was Danny's eloquent reply.

Steve couldn't help it. He lightly chuckled. "Well, at least I know you're in there," he half-grinned at his partner. He was worried, no doubt about it, but he didn't want to worry Danny right then.

"Derrick, thank you for what you did. Your quick actions kept him from drowning. Or getting any more water in his lungs than he might have. Good job," Steve looked at Derrick with genuine gratitude in his eyes.

Derrick still didn't feel like much of a hero, but he merely nodded and said," Thanks, Commander. I just hope he's okay."

"He will be. You can let go now. I've got him and I'll stay with him until the medics arrive. Head on back to the boat. Your dad and sister could probably use your help," Steve instructed him.

"Okay."

"And grab the good ski and the broken pieces of the other one. Can you do that?" Steve asked as he carefully placed his hands under Danny's shoulders.

"No problem." Derick found the broken piece near him and began the swim back to the boat. Grabbing the other broken piece relentlessly banging against the hull of the boat, he passed them up to his dad. Retrieving the one good ski floating in front of the boat, he swam back to the side and handed it to his dad as well.

"C'mon Derrick, let me help you aboard," Lou said with obvious pride in his voice and in his stance.

Derrick winced. He couldn't stand his father's look when he felt he had done nothing to deserve it. He swam to the ladder and climbed on board. He also pulled the ski rope that had been cut free and pulled it onto the boat, coiling it in a circle to ensure nobody stepped on it and tripped. That's all they needed. An onboard accident.

/*/*/*/

Steve turned back to Danny. It was just the two of them now. Everybody else was accounted for and onboard the boat. Lou had checked the side where the jet ski had rammed it, and other than a few dents, the hull appeared undamaged. Thank God for small favors. If there had been a breach in the hull, Steve didn't even want to think about the predicament they would be in. As it was they couldn't go anywhere until the medics reached them.

Based on what Luvie had been able to briefly impart to him, she had lost control of the jet ski as it came into the boat's wake. She turned it off in panic, but did not understand that without power, she would be unable to steer the PWC and that at the speed she was travelling she would need at least 300 feet or so to come to a stop. There was not that kind of distance between her and the boat, nor between her and Danny or Derrick. She hadn't seen Danny until the last minute. She said she did her best to avoid him, but with no ability to steer, there wasn't a lot she could do. Neither could she avoid the water ski in her path. When the jet ski had impacted the water ski, it had splintered in two sending one piece like a projectile in Derrick's direction.

Danny had stopped swimming when he heard the motor of the jet ski close by and popped his head up just as she entered the boat's wake. In an attempt to protect Derrick he had quickly swum closer to him and when he saw the upcoming impact between jet ski and water ski, he had put his hands up and attempted to use his body to keep the jagged partial water ski from hitting Derrick. Instead he had managed to divert its direct path, but with its velocity, it ended up hitting him just by the temple, leaving a 3" slice from his temple down the right side of his head towards his ear. The impact had caused him to pass out, but he had saved Derrick from being directly impaled between the eyes. So in his mind, before his thoughts floated away, it was worth it.

Unfortunately, when he had turned his body to protect Derrick, he had placed himself directly into the path of the out-of-control jet ski. It had grazed his right side, hitting his arm, his hip and even worse, his knee. It all happened so fast that he really didn't have much time to respond. So here he was laying on his stomach, in the water, with a life preserver holding up his body and another one wrapped around his head like an overinflated turban to keep his head out of the water.

"Danny? Danno, can you hear me?" Steve entreated.

"Huh?" Danny muttered again, eyes barely open.

"Stay with me, Danny, Help's on its way. Just stay awake and stay with me," Steve pleaded.

"..'k," he barely breathed out.

Steve looked worriedly into Danny's face. The cut on his head had not stopped bleeding. And when he bumped his side when the waves gently jostled them, Danny had groaned. Steve just knew there was more damage to his best friend. He didn't even want to think about what could be wrong.

"C'mon, c'mon, where are you?" he begged looking out to the mass of water for any signs of help.

"Uhhh," Danny groaned.

"Danny?" Steve turned back to his friend.

**_~to be continued ~_**

_I am no longer in charge of this story. The plot bunnies have taken over. Without cattle prods, I cannot get them to cooperate. But they do promise to finish the story. :-)_


	4. Rescue - Part 1

_Thanks again for all the reviews, favs and follows. _

***** H50 *****

"Hey, you guys decide to stay out longer? You have…" Chin started, then paused and listened. "What? Okay, I'm on it."

"Kono, I need you and Jerry over here," Chin called to his teammates down at the water's edge.

Still standing by Chin's chair, Grace immediately became concerned by the tone in his voice. "Uncle Chin?" Grace looked at him questioningly.

"Just a minute, keiki," Chin said evenly.

"Kono, Jerry, I need you to get the Sea-Doo out of the back of the truck."

"Uncle Chin?" Grace persisted, becoming increasingly fearful.

"I'm sorry, Grace. Let me take care of this first, then I'll explain, okay?" Chin looked at Renee, his eyes giving away his own worry.

"Grace, it looks like it's business. Come over here with me for a minute," she quietly suggested, hiding her own burgeoning fear.

Grace's big brown eyes were wide in anticipation. Scared. She was her father's daughter. Her intuition was screaming trouble with a capital "T". She didn't want to be comforted at that moment. She wanted to be involved. To know what was going on. But she also recognized she was a child in the eyes of the adults around her, even though she felt more mature than they acknowledged.

Uncle Chin was off to the side, making call after call. Grace and Renee were standing nearby watching and waiting for word.

"Mrs. Grover, what's going on?" Grace asked tentatively looking up at her.

"I'm not sure, hon. We'll find out in a minute. I'm sure your Uncle Chin will let us know."

Chin walked over to them and knelt down at eye level with Grace. Grace's heart was pounding in her chest. She knew, she just knew, that something had happened to her Danno.

"Grace…" Chin started.

"What happened to Daddy?" Grace tearfully asked.

"Grace, we don't know anything for sure. There's been an accident. That's all I know right now. Uncle Steve is taking care of things, but I need to go see if I can help. I've called Ocean Rescue and they're on their way. As soon as I know anything, Kono or I'll let you know, okay?" Chin tried to soothe her.

As a tear was rolling down her cheek, Grace wanted to believe that nothing bad had happened to her dad, but she just knew something was wrong. She felt it.

"Grace?" Chin looked into her face.

"Okay, Uncle Chin. But you promise you'll let me know if something happened to Danno right away?"

"I promise," Chin said as he gave her a hug. Looking up at Renee, he saw the concern in her face and his expression let her know the seriousness of what he had just heard.

"That was Lou who called. He says things are under control, but there are some injuries involved. Something to do with two jet skis. He wanted me to let you know Samantha and Derrick are okay. I'm taking our Sea-Doo to see if Kono and I can help. We'll let you know as soon as we know anything," Chin explained.

Renee nodded her head putting her hands on Grace's shoulders to comfort not only Grace, but also herself. Although relieved that her family members appeared to be all right, she was concerned about the rest of the 5-0 team. Grace's lip was trembling and she was trying hard not to burst into tears.

"Keiki, it's going to be all right," Chin reassured her lifting her chin to look into her eyes.

Grace's expressive eyes left no doubt as to her fears. Chin hoped that Danny's injuries were not life threatening. Lou had told him enough of what had happened in the brief conversation they had, but Chin deliberately chose to withhold that information from Grace until he knew more.

Kono and Jerry were transporting the Sea-Doo from the truck. Bringing it to the beach at a good launch position, Chin signaled to Kono to come with him.

"Jerry, stay here with Renee and Grace. Rescue may show up here and the Medivac will be in touch. Wait for our call for further directions," Chin instructed. And with that, he and Kono climbed on the Sea-Doo, Chin piloting the craft.

Kicking up sand as they launched from the beach, Chin headed towards the position of the accident.

/*/*/*/

Danny hadn't made another sound. Steve was getting more and more concerned. They couldn't stay suspended in time and space like this forever. He was floating, drifting. His finely tuned SEAL senses were on overload. Scanning the horizon, listening for motors signaling help was nearby. All he could smell was oil and gas laden water. All he could taste was fear. The only thing keeping him sane was the touch of his brother's shoulders on top of his supporting palms.

"Steve!" came a shout from the boat breaking him out of his watchful stance.

"Yeah," he yelled back to Lou.

"Chin's on his way. ETA 3 minutes. Ocean Rescue is 5 minutes out. Medivac has been dispatched. ETA 10 minutes."

"Thank God," Steve breathed out.

Danny stirred again.

"Danno?" Steve looked into his face. The bleeding on the right side of his head had slowed down and almost stopped. Water splashing on his head had kept the cut wet. Steve's biggest worry was the possibility of infection the longer he was exposed to the natural bacteria in the water. That and whatever other injuries he had which hadn't been discovered yet.

Danny uttered a pitiful moan. Steve held onto him tighter.

"Just a little longer, Danno. Just a little longer," Steve whispered trying to calm both Danny and himself. He hated this. It always tore him apart when Danny got hurt. And that so wasn't supposed to happen today. Damnit. Hadn't they been through enough over the last few months? This was supposed to be a day of fun and relaxation with family and friends. Damnit, again.

The familiar sound of the Sea-doo was a welcome intrusion.

"Steve, how's he doing?" Chin called out from the pilot's seat, Kono looking over his shoulder.

"Hanging in there. But we need to get him out of the water as soon as possible. This isn't doing him any good," he responded. _Or me. _

"Yeah. Ocean Rescue is right behind us. Where can we help the most?" Chin asked.

"There isn't a lot you can do to help with Danny right now. Help Lou with everybody onboard."

Chin piloted the Sea-doo to tie it at the back of the boat. He and Kono climbed the ladder and took one look at the multiple faces staring at them and it was clear Lou had intimidated them into silence. The two girls wrapped in blankets were trembling and sniffling. Samantha was in the aft port corner sitting on a cooler. Her expression was one of shock. She was shivering. Kono found another blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders. Lou had been focused on the two newcomers and hadn't noticed the changes in Samantha's demeanor. Derrick, on the other hand, was sitting on the deck starboard side with a look that could only be described as angry. There was something going on here that went deeper than the accident. Of that, Kono was positive.

/*/*/*/

Two Ocean Rescue specialized EMTs arrived on the scene shortly after Chin and Kono. One steered his jet ski over to the boat. The other made her way to Danny and Steve. Turning off the engine, she dropped into the water with a waterproof medical pouch on her shoulder and swam the few feet to them.

"What do we have here other than the obvious?" Lani questioned Steve.

"Sking and PWC altercation," Steve succinctly said. He hadn't moved from his position supporting Danny.

"Was he the skier?" she asked as she gently moved the little bit of Danny's wet hair covering the cut to examine it more closely.

"No. He was swimming from the boat to help the downed skier," Steve filled in.

Looking around, Lani queried, "And the skier? What's his or her condition?"

"He's okay. Helped me with Danny before getting on the boat. Amazing kid," Steve said glancing at the boat, not seeing Derrick.

"Everybody came out relatively unscathed, except for Danny. One of the girls from the pair of PWCs has a rope burn and bruising on her left leg from flipping it and getting caught by the ski rope. But it didn't look overly serious to me. Possible dehydration. Both girls from the PWCs," Steve continued.

Lani gave Steve a quizzical look. "Are you a medic?" she asked him.

"No, no, although sometimes I think I should get a medical degree. Just a Navy SEAL, Reserves. I've taken advanced medical training through the SEAL program."

"Just a Navy SEAL? There's no _'just'_ about SEALS," she lightly chuckled.

"Oh, yeah?" Steve quirked his famous half-grin. "What do you know about Navy SEALs?"

"I'm married to one," she laughed.

"Really? Who?" Steve asked, surprised.

"Commander, how 'bout we share a coffee later? I'll bring my husband and you and he can swap stories," Lani started chuckling softly. She knew who Steve was because Ocean Rescue had been informed it was 5-0 with the emergency. "At the moment..." she waved her hand over Danny.

"Oh, right, right," Steve said, a little embarrassed. "Hey, how did you... never mind " he trailed off. "How's he doing?"

While they had been _'chatting'_, Lani had done a perfunctory examination of Danny as much as she could in the water.

"Well, aside from the obvious laceration on his head, he does have some damage to the right side of his body. His right arm has at least one break and his right wrist appears broken as well. Based on his groan and slight wince when I touched his right knee, I would say there is damage there as well. I can't ascertain the severity at this point, but his patella does not appear to be broken. I would imagine there is significant bruising down the length of his side. I have some concern about his right shoulder. It doesn't appear to be dislocated, but we'll let X-rays identify any issues there. His blood pressure is a little low, but not a major concern right now."

Hesitating briefly, Lani asked, "Did he breathe in any water?"

"If he did, it was very little. Derrick got his head out of the water within seconds of the accident. They were only a few feet apart. My guess is he was face down maybe 10 to 15 seconds max," Steve answered looking down at Danny's face. "He's been breathing, albeit shallowly, but I haven't heard any signs of respiratory distress."

Lani smiled at Steve. "He's lucky to have you on his team."

"Not as lucky as I am," Steve whispered.

"I think the best approach is to allow Medivac to take him. Transporting him by jet ski backboard is not really an option given the possibility of a neck or spinal injury. In any case, with the injuries he does have, the obvious jostling and bouncing would exacerbate his condition. The Medivac techs will transport him from the water by rescue basket and then directly to Queens. It's the closest hospital."

As Lani finished explaining the next steps to him, the familiar whump whump whump of a helicopter was music to Steve's ears. The irony of the word he used to describe the sound was not lost on him.

/*/*/*/

"Uncle Jerry, why hasn't Uncle Chin called? I'm scared," Grace whimpered.

"Aw, sweetie, it's only been a little while. He'll call when he can. You know he will," Jerry attempted to calm her. For all of Jerry's crazy ways he was really good with Grace. She thought he was definitely weird, but she found his sense of humor funny. And he was a master of expressions. He made her laugh.

Renee was sitting at the picnic table with them, worry etching her face. "Did Chin say the Medivac was going to land here?" she asked.

"I think he said they were on standby, but the last thing I heard was that they had been dispatched," Jerry answered her. "My guess is they would go directly to the site of the accident."

"It's for daddy," Grace said despondently.

"Grace, honey, you don't know that," Renee touched her lightly on the shoulder.

"Yes, I do!" Grace jumped up angrily. "It's always Danno or Uncle Steve who gets hurt. They're always the ones saving everybody else!" She had to check herself as she almost owed the swear jar. Her dad wouldn't be happy about that.

"And we already know it's not Uncle Steve this time, 'cuz he's the one giving orders."

Both Jerry and Renee raised their eyebrows at that last remark.

"Just because Uncle Steve's giving the orders doesn't mean your dad is hurt," Jerry tried to soothe her. "Besides, isn't he always giving orders?" Jerry attempted a little humor. But it wasn't working.

"Uncle Chin was talking to Mr. Grover, not Danno. My daddy would have let me know he was okay." It was clear nothing was going to pacify Grace other than seeing her Danno.

Before Jerry or Renee could respond, the distinct sound of a helicopter's blades was heard in the distance. It would be on top of them in a matter of minutes. All three collectively held their breath.

**_~ to be continued ~_**

_Yes, I'm being mean dragging out the rescue. I'm getting back at the bunnies. _


	5. Rescue - Part 2

As always, appreciate the reviews, favs and follows.

_Notes: _

_**1) **__I have a limited medical background. I'm working on an unofficial degree from Google University. No offense to actual medical professionals intended. _

_**2) **__All water rescue equipment and procedures described within are also compliments of Google. If anything written is inaccurate, blame the Internet. _

_**3) **__Ocean Rescue is made up for purposes of this story. Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services is the actual name of the services through the City of Honolulu and they do have mobile stations and mobile responders. _

***** H50 *****

Grace was really nervous. She heard the helicopter before she saw it. And when it stopped and hovered overhead not far from their picnic site, she ran to the water's edge to see if she could get a better look. She hated this, really, really hated this.

"Danno," she whispered. "Please be okay, Daddy. Please."

Renee had come up behind her and placed her hands on her shoulders. "We'll know soon, Grace." She shivered under her touch but didn't pull away, her attention focused on the helicopter doing its dance just above the trees.

As if programmed to the whirlybird's appearance, her phone vibrated in her shorts' pocket. Grabbing it quickly and swiping it open, she breathlessly answered, "Auntie Kono?"

/*/*/*/

The water whipped up just below the helicopter, creating circular waves around the abandoned red PWC. Knowing there was a possible neck or spinal injury in their pickup, the pilot positioned the helicopter slightly away from the water-treading threesome to ensure the least amount of upheaval to their charge.

Two occupants were lowered into the water with a rescue basket carrying various medical supplies. Making their way over to their victim, Lani quickly updated them on Danny's condition. Positioning themselves along with Lani and Steve around Danny, the two helicopter EMTs made preparations to turn Danny face up and get him on the water-certified backboard paying particular attention to his neck and head.

Danny had been relatively quiet until the manhandling started. He groaned every time he was moved in any way. Steve was beside himself.

"Guys, isn't there any way we can make this easier on him?"

"I'm sorry, sir. To ensure his safety during transport, we have no option other than to splint and then strap his right arm and hand to his body. And the splint to his leg is absolutely necessary. As it is, we have to move him with the life preserver still on his body. We are going to replace the one around his head with a neck brace once we turn him over. Which, by the way, was very inventive and smart," Haoki, the senior EMT, told Steve.

"S..st..'v?" Danny moaned.

"Danny?" Steve peered at him. _Shit. He was hoping he'd be out for a little longer. _

"Wh...s ha..p'n..." Danny trailed off.

"We're getting you out of here, buddy," Steve reassured him.

"By w..wa..'r? A..r?" It was all Steve could do not to burst out laughing. Only his sick and injured partner would care about the transport method to save his butt.

"A combo, pal, a combo. Is that okay with you?" Steve asked slightly amused. Becoming serious again, his eyes soft, he murmured, "Just bear with us a little longer, okay?"

"..'k," Danny said, voice barely above a whisper.

/*/*/*/

The occupants on the ski boat were watching the rescue unfold. Lou had to remind everybody not to pile over to the port side or they'd all need rescuing out of the water, too. In spite of the seriousness of the situation, the comment brought a round of chuckles and grins as the occupants repositioned themselves to better balance the weight in the boat.

All but Derrick. He hadn't moved from his current position holding onto the port side center railing. He was fixed on the drama in front of him and was fighting tears once again. Danny had been good to him. Teaching him to ski. Coming to help him when he panicked after falling. And here he was. Hurt. Because of what he had stupidly done. All to impress his father. All because of Samantha. The anger appeared once again as he stole a glance at his sister who had at least stopped looking like a deer caught in the headlights. His dad had his arms wrapped around her, comforting her again. Turning back to Danny and the team working on him, he just wanted this nightmare to be over. And for Master Detective Extraordinaire to be okay. _God, please let Danny be okay. _

He was abruptly brought out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder causing him to jump.

"I'm sorry, Derrick. I didn't mean to startle you." Kono smiled at him thoughtfully.

"Oh, no, you didn't... well, kinda," Derrick shyly ducked his head.

"Are you okay?" Kono asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'm just worried about Detective Williams. Is he gonna be all right?"

"He's got the best with him, Derrick. And if Steve... the Commander has anything to say about it, he better be!" She did her very best to reassure the boy. She could feel his guilt. It was radiating off him. But, again, she sensed something else mixed with it.

"It's not your fault, you know," Kono said removing her hand from his shoulder and placing it on the railing by his left hand.

"I don't know about that. He wouldn't be out there, in trouble, if I hadn't fallen," Derrick replied sadly.

"Oh, Derrick. Everybody falls water skiing. It's not your fault the girls cut into the wake just when you fell. It's just an unfortunate timing of events. Please don't blame yourself. Danny wouldn't want that. He'll tell you that himself when he's better." Kono felt helpless as she looked at Derrick's pain-filled face.

Derrick just looked down at his hands. If she only knew. He stayed quiet as he brought his gaze back out to the rescue.

/*/*/*/

With all hands, the water team had turned Danny face up, still floating in the water, but now with Lani supporting his cushioned head. Steve grimaced every time Danny made a distressed sound during the process. They quickly placed the water-certified backboard underneath him, strapping him to it with wide body straps. The EMTs expertly removed the makeshift wrap from his head and replaced it with a water-proof cervical collar, effectively immobilizing his neck for transport. They placed a temporary bandage on the laceration on his head after flushing it with a saline solution causing yet another groan from him.

From their examination of his head and neck, they doubted a spinal injury. But in the short time he had been in the water he was already sprouting some impressive bruising to his neck and shoulder. They could only guess as to what would be found upon further examination of his torso.

Steve winced, "Damn."

"Yeah, pretty nasty. His shoulder is probably wrenched. It's definitely not dislocated," Haoki stated. "That's a good thing."

"Yeah, a good thing," Steve muttered sarcastically. He wished it was him and not Danny in this position.

"Commander, it really is. Based on what you told us happened, I'm surprised he didn't drown or have a more serious back injury. Of course, the x-rays will tell the full story, but all in all, he's lucky."

Steve snorted. Lucky? Steve wouldn't call it that. Another moan escaped Danny.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road. Commander, can you help us get him loaded into the basket?" Haoki asked, signaling the helicopter pilot they were ready for transport.

"Sure. Give me a sec, okay?" Steve replied, having moved to Danny's left side and clasping his hand. Leaning close to his face, Steve said, "We're getting you out of here now, Danno. You ready?"

Danny's eyes were at quarter mast, barely open. With the last of his energy, he murmured, "R..rd..y wh..n y..y..ou a..re."

"That's my boy," Steve affectionately stroked his head with his free hand.

/*/*/*/

Decisions had been made on the boat. Chin would captain the ship to the nearest mobile station where ambulances would be waiting to transport those needing to go to the hospital. Kono would return to their picnic site with the Sea-Doo, make sure everything was secure there and organize transportation for Mrs. Grover, Jerry and Grace. Lou and his children, along with the two girls, would accompany Chin on the boat. The mobile EMT responders would return to their station and dispatch units to retrieve the girls' PWCs. And Steve? It was no surprise he would accompany Danny on the helicopter.

Lou had made a phone call to Wendy's parents who had in turn contacted Luvie's parents. They would all meet at the hospital. Lou grimaced thinking about what a zoo this was going to be. Based on his conversation with them, he wasn't looking forward to further interaction with "The Walkens", Wendy's parents. Shaking his head, he was muttering to himself as he stood next to Chin.

"What's with the face, Lou?" Chin asked.

"You don't want to know," he replied still shaking his head. "Truly, you don't want to know."

/*/*/*/

The EMTs on the boat had thoroughly checked out Wendy and Luvie. Steve had been right. They were both suffering from dehydration. IV solutions were attached to both girls providing much needed fluids. Luvie's leg had been treated with a medicinal cream and wrapped loosely with gauze. They would be transported to Queens for a thorough exam.

To Lou's surprise, they had also examined both Samantha and Derrick.

"Are they okay?" Lou asked worriedly.

"For the most part," Loki, an EMT, replied. "It looks like your skier here is okay. His blood pressure is a little high, but other than that, he's fine. Needs to drink plenty of water. No sodas or coffee," he winked at Derrick. "We don't need him to get dehydrated either." He quirked his head towards Kaila, the other EMT, who had examined Samantha.

"She's doing well although she is presenting with mild symptoms of shock," Kaila stated. "I suggest she be checked at the hospital, too."

"Samantha?" Lou questioned, surprise on his face. To say he was stunned was an understatement.

"Honey, I know you were shook up from the accident, but..." He didn't finish as he stepped forward to wrap her in his arms once more. Leaning against her dad, Samantha was sobbing quietly. Derrick silently watched, this time his face not giving away his feelings.

/*/*/*/

Kono had called Grace when she and Chin were onboard the boat and had more details on all the injuries. It wasn't a phone call she had wanted to make knowing how right Grace had been. Listening to Grace cry had broken her heart. She did her best to comfort her, but it was a losing battle. While they were prepping Danny to be lifted to the helicopter, Kono had explained that she would be back at the beach to pick her up to take her to the hospital.

When she had hung up the phone, Grace had turned to Renee and clung to her. Jerry stood helplessly nearby.

"I knew daddy was hurt. I KNEW it," she sobbed. Renee merely held her and layed her head on Grace's, a tear falling from her own eye. To Grace this whole situation had taken hours when in reality it was just over 30 minutes.

With an unnatural fortitude for one so young, Grace straightened her shoulders and sat up, wiping her eyes with her shirt. Determination on her face.

"I want to go to the hospital now," she stated firmly. "I want to be there before Danno."

"Honey, we need to wait until the others let us know what they want us to do," Renee tried to explain.

"I want to be there before him. He's gonna need me. I know what will make him feel better," she said not giving an inch.

Jerry stared at her. He had never met a child, excuse him, a young adult, like Grace. Strong, resolute, smart. "You know what, Grace. You're right."

Speaking to Renee, he said, "I'll take her. We have enough modes of transportation for everybody to find their way out of here. You can tell Kono I took her."

"You might want to wait for me," a voice from the water shouted.

All eyes turned to see Kono making her way up the beach.

"I think you'll want me to take you, keiki," Kono smiled at Grace. "Have you ever ridden with Jerry before?"

"Uh, no," Grace glanced at Jerry who had grabbed his heart feigning a heart attack, which made her giggle.

Grinning, Kono said, "C'mon, Jerry. I need your help getting the Sea-Doo loaded on the truck."

"Sure, sure. You take a swipe at my driving abilities and then expect me to help you. I know your type," Jerry responded, winking at Grace.

Temporarily distracted, she almost missed her dad being hoisted up to the helicopter. Almost. She was looking in that direction and saw the miniscule movement. Tearing up, helpless, she stared at the basket carrying her Danno. It was just a spec from this distance, but she knew.

Everybody followed her gaze. Quiet fell on all of them as they watched the rescue mission being completed. As the helicopter started to move away, Grace very quietly whispered, "Danno."

**_~ to be continued ~_**

_The bunnies are happily munching away on fresh lettuce and carrots. We made up. ;-) _


	6. Hospital or Zoo

_Sorry for the delay in posting. Weather, Internet connections, stubborn muses and procrastination all played a part. A longer chapter for your patience. :-)_

_Where the story began..._

***** H50 *****

Danny's head hurt something fierce. He can barely lift it. When he had briefly opened his eyes, the brightness caused him to quickly close them. He tried moving his arms, but they didn't want to cooperate either. But they were better than his legs. He couldn't even feel them. Or his toes. Below his waist, he was just numb. And on top of that he felt wet. All over. Where was he? What the heck happened? As his foggy brain tried to figure out the answers to his questions, someone called his name. But it sounded like it was coming from under water. "Glub glub" the voice may as well have been saying. He was so tired. Against his better judgment, he just let his body dictate the next course of action.

"Danny?" Steve shouted. "What the hell happened now?" Danny had been in and out during their trip to the hospital. Mumbling about Grace and Matt, Reyes and Colombia, Rachel, you name it. He was all over the place. And now he had passed out. Again.

It was a good thing Danny was strapped down or he would have figured out a way to jump out of the helicopter. Of that Steve was sure. But, of course, this just exacerbated Danny's feeling of being trapped. Dekker and the collapsed building were mutterings as well. Danny had covered a lot of ground in the short trip to the hospital. And Steve was going out of his mind with worry.

As soon as they landed on the rooftop of Queens Hospital, a team of orderlies whisked Danny away with Steve running behind them. If they thought they were keeping him away from Danny, they were sadly mistaken. After a futile argument, the medical staff reluctantly allowed him to remain at Danny's side.

Now as he was waiting for the attending doctor with a once again unconscious Danny at his side, he had a moment to gather his thoughts. He was concerned about Grace. Kono had called him and let him know they were on the way from the beach. Chin had called him from the ER to let him know he and Lou and the boat's occupants had arrived. The girls from the PWCs and Lou's kids were being treated in the ER. The girls' parents were on their way.

Steve was glad Chin and Lou were close by. He needed the backup and support. Glancing worriedly at Danny and firmly holding his left hand, he sighed. 5-0 and crew had once again taken over a hospital.

/*/*/*/

"Wendy Walken. Where is she? Where is my daughter?" the man pushed himself through the throng of people in the ER, his wife clinging to his arm.

"Sir, please, calm down," the intake nurse implored.

"I will **not **calm down. Do you not know who I am?" his voice boomed.

The nurse just rolled her eyes. If anybody in Hawaii watched the news or read a paper, they knew who he was. Mr. Robert Walken of Walken Enterprises, the largest pharmaceutical company in the United States. His name had been all over the news lately because of a new antibiotic developed by his company. It was unique because of its apparent lack of side effects and ability to heal even the most stubborn bacterial infections. His ego demanded it be named after him. So it was. Walkenomycin. Unbelievable according to many in the industry. Many thought of him as a pompous, arrogant SOB. He did not have a good reputation with his employees either. They perceived him as a tight-fisted cheapskate who didn't care about anybody but himself and his spoiled, can-do-no wrong daughter. His wife barely made it into his protected circle.

Sighing, the nurse stated clearly, "Yes, Mr. Walken, I know who you are. However, as important as you are, there are other sick people here waiting to be seen. So, please, I will let you know where your daughter is as soon as the attending doctor for her party lets me know. You can either wait here in the Waiting Room," she continued as she waved her arm indicating seating there, "or you can go to a private family room and I will contact you there."

Scowling at the Waiting Room seating and its occupants, who were all staring at him, he made a quick decision. "Okay, my wife and I will be in the family suite. Let us know immediately. Understood?" He grabbed the key she was handing him.

"Yes, sir, I will," she duly responded, but not releasing her ground. This was her bailiwick and she was in charge here no matter who he was.

He turned around and as an afterthought asked, "You said her party? What party? Who's responsible for her injuries? Who is it or are they?"

"Sir..." she started again.

"I want to know, damnit," he nearly yelled. At that moment Lou came storming through the ER room doors.

"What's going on out here?" Lou growled. "There are sick and injured people back there." And looking around, he continued, "And out here!"

Glaring at Mr. Walken, Lou was pretty sure who the loudmouth was based on his egregious stance and puffed out chest.

"And who are you?" Mr. Walken spat out.

"Captain Lou Grover, 5-0. And you?"

"Oh, is that supposed to impress me?" Mr. Walken spouted.

"Not necessarily, but you should know, I have jurisdiction over police matters here. Not you. And right now, you, whoever you are, are bordering on disorderly conduct."

"You obviously don't know who I am," the pharmaceutical CEO straightened his shoulders. Standing there proudly like a male peacock with his tail feathers fanned out, he huffed, "Mr. Robert Walken, President and CEO, Walken Enterprises."

Lou just quirked an eyebrow.

"Is that supposed to impress _me_?" He had drawn out the 'me' which infuriated Mr. Walken. It was sort of funny in a way, considering Lou stood over the guy by about eight inches. If a brawl started, it was fairly obvious who would win.

"Gentlemen, I know this is a war of testosterone, but I really need you **both **to calm down or take it outside," the intake nurse stated firmly.

"Sorry," Lou said. Mr. Walken just stood there. "C'mon, let's take our _'discussion' _over there," Lou said indicating a space slightly away from the Waiting Room. Following Lou, Mr. Walken and his still clinging, wide-eyed wife, made their way over to the more private area.

"Now, what are you so upset about?" Lou asked, feigning ignorance.

"My daughter was brought here by some strangers after a jet ski accident," Robert said. "I don't know where she is, how badly she's hurt, nothing! And I want to know who is responsible for the accident!"

Lou sighed. He already knew who he was dealing with. As soon as Mr. Walken had introduced himself, Lou had groaned inwardly at the confirmation. _Shit. Where was Steve when he needed him?_

/*/*/*/

Steve soothingly rubbed Danny's left arm, trying desperately to calm him. "Danny, Danno, c'mon, man, stop fighting so hard." Danny was awake again and Steve was the only one who could keep him from going off the rails.

In his deep state of confusion and pain, Danny barely made out Steve's voice. At least it didn't sound like it was underwater anymore. His wet clothes had been effectively removed and he was lying naked and shivering under a light sheet waiting to be examined.

"St..v?" Danny pitifully moaned.

"Right here, Danno."

"Wh..r..?"

"Queens."

"C..cou..rs. Wh..r el..s." Danny mumbled. The sarcasm, even in the mumble, was not lost on Steve. He chuckled.

"Waiting for the doctor to check you out, buddy."

"W..wh..y al..wys sm..th..n g..go wr..ng?" Danny feebly muttered.

"I dunno, buddy. I'm not sure which of us is the worst trouble magnet."

"C..cm as p..pk...g de..a..l," Danny ground out. He was fading again. Steve grinned at Danny's comment. Rubbing his hand through his own hair, this interminable wait was driving Steve crazy.

It was shortly after that a doctor, followed by what Steve assumed was an assistant, had made his way to Danny. Introducing himself, Dr. Liu held out his hand to Steve. He barely acknowledged the doctor, shaking his hand out of an ingrained respect.

"Dr. Liu..." Steve started. Holding up his hand, the doctor cut Steve off while looking at the reports from the EMTs in his other hand.

"Commander McGarrett, I have already reviewed the victim's preliminary reports. Let me see what we have here."

"His name is Detective Danny Williams, 5-0," Steve responded tersely. He didn't like this physician, not at all.

"Yes, yes," Dr. Liu brushed him off as he began to examine Danny. Every prod, every poke elicited a groan or moan from Danny. And when the man had less than delicately checked his head wound, Danny had cried out and squirmed uncomfortably on the table attempting to get away from the doctor's probing hands. Steve grew more and more distraught as Dr. Liu seemed insensitive to Danny's discomfort. And every _'hmmm' _from the physician made Steve want to throttle the man. Finally the medical torture was over as Dr. Liu stepped back and Danny had thankfully faded back into oblivion from the stress and pain of the examination.

"Well?" Steve asked impatiently.

"Hmmm," Dr. Liu muttered while tapping his pen against his mouth.

"Doctor, please?" the SEAL in Steve was about to come out and he doubted the good doctor would like that much.

Seemingly seeing Steve for the first time, Dr. Liu looked up and finally acknowledged him.

"I am most concerned about his head wound. He has a moderate concussion which is problematic in and of itself. And there is some swelling. The laceration is long and deep and I understand it was exposed to ocean seawater for at least 10 to 15 minutes, correct?" Steve nodded. The doctor continued, "We will treat and dress it, but we will need to watch for signs of infection."

"It was flushed with a saline solution within 15 minutes of the accident." Steve explained. "Would an infection have set in so quickly?"

"It is possible, Commander. There are some particularly virulent bacterial strains that have recently been discovered in some of the coastal waters of Oahu. The area where you were is one of them."

"Why wasn't it posted?" Now Steve was really upset.

"Unfortunately, the Center for Disease Control only received the final water test results late yesterday and the signs were due to be posted at all affected areas today. Media messages were sent to all news channels. I'm surprised you did not know."

"No, we've been on down time the last three days and deliberately stayed away from any media," Steve unhappily responded, kicking himself for not knowing.

"Commander, I would not be overly concerned about an infection. Trust me, we will stay on top of it. His chances of contracting the bacteria are relatively small. We will start him on a regimen of low dose antibiotics just to be sure."

As Steve looked at Danny's face, his only thought was _"With 5-0, it's rarely a small probability. Not with their trouble magnet status."_

"However," the doctor continued, "Detective Williams has other injuries that must be treated as well. I will order x-rays of his right shoulder, right arm, right hand and right knee. Also a CT scan to evaluate his head injury. The bruising on his neck and right shoulder is worrisome. The impact from the, let's see," he said as he flipped through the report, "ah, yes, a broken water ski, caused significant trauma to that area. Hopefully, we will be able to rule out any serious damage. He has bruising down the length of his right side and what appears to be one or two broken ribs. X-rays will confirm that. Blood draws will be ordered as well. I will put a rush on all tests and we should have an answer to the level of Detective Williams' injuries and a course of action determined in a short while." Dr. Liu smiled for the first time.

As he and his assistant stepped away, Steve was visibly distraught as he peered at Danny's face. His chest was tight and tears were welling in his eyes. This was so unfair. Holding fast to Danny's uninjured hand, he softly said, "Everything's gonna be okay, Danno. You're gonna be okay."

Danny didn't respond.

/*/*/*/

"Your daughter and her friend are being examined as we speak. They are both suffering from dehydration, but will be fine. Are Luvie's parents here?" Lou asked the Walkens preferring to speak directly to Luvie's parents about her injuries.

As if on cue, Mr. and Mrs. Leo Carmenski could be overheard at the ER desk inquiring about her. Very different in temperament from the Walken's, they were quiet and subdued, anxiety pouring off them in waves.

At the same time Kono, Renee, Jerry and Grace all entered the ER. Spotting Lou speaking with a couple away from the waiting room, Renee made her way over to him.

Filled with concern herself, she excused the interruption and asked, "Lou, where are Samantha and Derrick?"

Turning towards his wife, Lou responded, "Honey, they're okay. They're both okay. They'll be released shortly." Wrapping his arms around her in a brief hug, he said, "Trnee, I'd like you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Walken, Wendy's parents. Wendy is one of the girls riding the jet skis that were involved in the accident." Lou was very careful not to place blame. Yet.

At that moment, Chin appeared from the other side of the ER doors. Making his way over to Kono and Grace, he glanced in Lou's direction. Catching Lou's slight shake of the head, Chin understood the silent communication. Turning to Grace's concerned face, he gently explained, "Uncle Steve is with your dad. They are in a different part of the hospital."

"I want to see Danno. I need to see him." Grace's big, brown eyes were wide with fear.

"He's being checked out by a doctor right now, Grace. They'll let us know when we can see him," Chin calmly explained trying to soothe her. He was worried, too, and glancing up he could see the concern in both his cousin's and Jerry's faces.

Just then Mr. Walken's booming voice abruptly disrupted all conversations.

"I'll ask one more time. Where is my daughter? I want to see her now!" Mr. Walken's voice was rising again. Almost everybody in the area looked over at him. His wife had been cowering next to him, still clinging tightly to his arm.

"Robert? What's going on? How did Luvie get hurt studying with your daughter?" Mr. Carmenski queried upon hearing Robert's voice and making his way over to him.

"Studying? What are you talking about?"

"Luvie said they were going to study for an upcoming math test." Leo and his wife, Leilani, were very upset with their daughter's apparent dishonesty.

"Well, that's not what we understood," Robert stated. "We were on our private beach, enjoying the sun and water on our yacht. The girls were out on jet skis when this unfortunate "accident" occurred."

"Jet skis? What the heck were they doing on jet skis? Luvie doesn't have a Certificate to pilot one. She **_was _**a passenger, right?" Leo asked, but already knew the answer.

"What are you talking about? What certificate?" Robert asked loudly.

The frustration and tension were mounting and everyone in the vicinity could sense the brewing brouhaha.

On cue, Wendy came barreling out of the ER. Seeing her dad, she rushed over and threw herself in his arms.

"Baby, are you okay? Where are you hurt?" Robert's voice had softened as he held onto her.

"Oh, Daddy, it was awful. There was a man in the water and this boat came out of nowhere and Luvie and I tried to avoid it and go around without hitting the man, but it went right between us. Luvie flipped her jet ski and I deliberately fell off mine so the boat wouldn't hit me."

Lou was flabbergasted by what Wendy was saying. "Young lady, that is not what happened and you know it."

Her father angrily responded, "My daughter does not lie."

"Really? Who said they were studying?" Lou was getting angry in his own right.

"Luvie said her parents wouldn't let her come if we didn't tell them we were studying. We were planning on studying later, so we thought it was okay." Wendy was sobbing as she clung to her dad.

"We might not have had an accident if that stupid man hadn't jumped into the water. Detective something-or-other," Wendy continued.

That was the wrong thing for Grace to overhear. Nobody called her dad stupid. Moving, with Kono and Jerry on her heels, to where Wendy was, she glared at the girl.

"Are you talking about my dad? Because you better not be." Grace's facial expression gave everything away. If Lou and Chin didn't know better, they'd say Grace's balled up fists were going to be planted on one 16-year old's face in about ten seconds.

Jerry stepped in between Grace and Wendy and her parents, and tried to diffuse the rapidly deteriorating situation. "Grace, I'm sure she didn't mean it that way."

Facing Grace, Wendy haughtily declared, "Well, it was a dumb thing for him to do."

Emotions on overload and nerves frayed, that was not the right thing to say to Grace.

All hell broke loose.

Grace landed a punch to Wendy's stomach. Danno would so not approve. Robert attempted to pry Grace off his daughter who was pulling Grace's hair. In a fit of protectiveness, Jerry wrapped his arms around Robert to restrain him from hurting Grace. Lou and Chin broke things up. Lou pulled Jerry off Robert while Chin managed to untangle Wendy's hand from Grace's hair. Then Chin grabbed Grace. Lou stood between Robert and Chin as an effective barrier to get Mr. Walken to calm down. Kono was holding Wendy gently but firmly. All the wives, including Renee, and Mr. Carminski stood there frozen in disbelief.

And, to top it all off? Guess who decided to make an appearance at that precise moment? None other than SuperSEAL himself.

And hospital security.

Shaking his head, Lou muttered quietly to Chin, who was still holding Grace, "What is it that Danny always says? Something about jackals and hyenas? Well, I think we're definitely in the zoo."

**_~ to be continued ~_**

**_Note: _**_I will do my best to post the next chapter by Wednesday. I have eye surgery tomorrow morning, but it shouldn't cause any delays. _


	7. Post Zoo

_Thank you for being so patient. _

_My eye thingy was a bit more challenging then I anticipated. I could only read, type or edit a minute or two at a time before blurry vision set in. _

_But now I'm good to go! _

**_After the zoo outbreak_**

***** H50 *****

Steve gazed intently at the conglomeration of people staring back at him. They all looked like deer caught in the headlights or kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

"What the-?" Steve started before being cut off by one of the security guards.

"What's the problem here?" the guard practically yelled.

No one responded. Kono was trying not to giggle, Jerry shuffled his feet, Chin had his Zen-look in place, Lou rolled his eyes, Renee had moved to his side, Grace was looking at the ground. And that was just Steve's team and extended ohana. The Walkens, at least Robert, looked angry and hostile. Wendy looked like a mini-me of her father. Her mother quivered, still clinging to Robert's arm. The Carminskis were now arm in arm, Leilani slightly sobbing and starting to hiccup. If the reason for them all being there wasn't so serious, it would have been comical. Someone should have thought to record the moment. It could have won the big prize on America's Funniest Home Videos.

Lou's low baritone voice was the first to be heard. "Just a minor misunderstanding." Looking directly at Robert, Lou let the man know by facial expression alone not to make any more waves right then.

Opening and closing his mouth quickly, Robert bit his tongue. Everybody was so quiet, no one would have believed this was the same group of people that created the chaotic noise of a few minutes ago.

"Well, obviously something happened," the guard continued studying each of them carefully. "And who are you?" he asked Steve, noting his intimidating stance.

"Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett, 5-0." Waving at the group of people, he said, "And some of these individuals belong to me."

"Uncle Steve, I don't..." Grace began, but the glare from her Uncle had her shutting up real quick.

"Well, Lt. Commander, these people need to remove themselves from our facility. We don't tolerate this kind of behavior in the hospital. Ever," the guard stated firmly. "Either that or we will escort them out."

"They seem rather docile at the moment," Steve responded. "Can I have a minute to sort this out?" At the look of denial from the guard, Steve continued, "I promise they will stay calm," he said glowering at everyone in the room, "or I will personally escort them out."

"Well, I don't know..." the guard said hesitantly.

"Please, it's been a traumatic day for everybody here and I'm sure my team and I can get to the bottom of this."

Critically eyeing Steve, the guard nodded, surrendering his power. "Okay, but if we get called back here, everybody, and I mean everybody," the guard said looking pointedly at Steve, "will be put in the back of a paddy wagon and transported by HPD to jail."

Kono couldn't help herself and snorted at that one. The image in her mind was too funny. The problem was her snort started everybody else. Lou chortled, Chin chuckled, Jerry guffawed, Steve tried to stifle a laugh and Grace, and even Wendy, giggled. Robert didn't know how to react. Luvie's parents joined in finding amusement in the situation.

The bewildered guard threw up his hands, gathered his crew and left the room.

Now in control, Steve almost growled, "What the hell is going on?"

Timing being what it is, at that precise moment a nurse came through the ER doors with Luvie, Samantha and Derrick in tow.

_Hail, hail, the gang's all here _Lou thought as he again rolled his eyes.

/*/*/*/

Luvie limped her way to her parents, her leg swathed in gauze from her hip to her ankle. A few bandages on her calf were peaking out underneath the gauze.

"No broken bones. She has some bruises, rope burns and abrasions on her leg. They've been treated and bandaged. The gauze is to allow the medicinal cream to soak into her skin and to keep it from rubbing off on clothes, car seats and the like," the nurse said handing a small plastic bag to Leilani. "Apply the medicinal ointment 4 times a day to the bruised and rope burned areas. Change the bandages on her calf at least 2 times a day. I've put a few bandages and extra gauze in the bag. You can get more at a drug store. Discharge paperwork is included in the bag. Make an appointment with your family doctor to check her tomorrow or the next day." Smiling at Luvie, the nurse said, "You take care of yourself and be sure to drink plenty of water, okay? We don't want you getting dehydrated again."

Luvie smiled at the nurse and gave her a small hug. "Thank you," she whispered.

Wendy made her way over to her friend. "You're okay, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," Luvie responded quietly not looking at her friend.

"Honey, we need to go. We've filled out the hospital paperwork so we can leave now," Leo told his daughter. He wanted to get them out of there and especially away from Wendy.

Overhearing, Steve stepped over to them. "I'm sorry, but I need to ask your daughter a few questions before you go. It will only take a minute or two."

Robert, watching everything like a hawk, went over to his daughter and her friend.

"What do you need to ask her? My daughter has already told your comrade what you need to know," Robert stated loudly, pointing to Lou. He seemed incapable of keeping his voice below a bellow.

"She might have a slightly different perspective," Steve informed Robert.

"She knows your boat went between us causing the accident, don't you, Luvie?" Luvie wasn't sure what to say, so using the pause to her advantage Wendy hurried her next words, "And that stupid man in the water gave us no place to go. It's amazing you didn't run over him, Luvie." Wendy drew out her friend's name to ensure she understood her meaning to go along with the story.

Before Luvie could respond, Steve broke in, towering over Wendy. "That man happens to work for me and is a highly decorated detective. He was trying to get to a downed skier when you broke our wake and hit him," Steve nearly barked.

Terrified of the man speaking, but more afraid of her parents, Luvie didn't know what to do. If she told the truth she'd be in trouble with her parents and lose Wendy's friendship. She felt like she had no choice.

"It's like Wendy said," she said quietly.

"I was there helping you. You know that's not true," Steve stared at her. Sensing a vulnerability in her, he knew he should bide his time and question her when Wendy wasn't around.

"I'm sorry, but that's what happened. Can I go home now?" She looked at her parents avoiding Steve's eyes altogether.

Steve watched her closely. "Okay, for now. I need contact information for you and your daughter," Steve redirected his comments to Leo and Leilani.

"No problem," Leo said as he handed a business card to Steve with his hastily scribbled home address and home phone number on the back. "Can you get my daughter's official statement later today?" he asked.

"An HPD uniformed officer will be by in an hour or two if that's okay with you," Steve stated. Locking eyes with the man, Steve knowingly understood what the man was doing.

Putting an arm around his wife and one around his daughter, Leo turned to walk away. "We'll be in touch." Leo wasn't a stupid man. He knew something was going on with his daughter. And he had known Robert, his wife and daughter for a while now because of her friendship with Wendy. He would get the truth from Luvie when they were alone.

Turning back to Robert, Steve told him, "I need your contact information, too." Robert simply handed him his business card.

Glancing at the card, Steve asked as politely as he could, "Could you give me your home address and phone number as well?" He was fighting what he really wanted to say to this man and his daughter.

True to form, Robert declared, "You can reach me at my office."

"Well, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. You provide it now voluntarily or we look it up, inefficiently using my team's time. And it would go far in showing you're willing to cooperate with us," Steve stated firmly.

"Cooperate with you?" Robert huffed. "For what?"

"This was an accident and will be treated as such. We need to document everybody's statement for the record." Steve noticed Wendy squirm a little and hid his smile as he got the reaction he wanted.

"Oh, what the hell. Okay," Robert growled as he grabbed his business card from Steve's hand and wrote his home address and phone number on the back. "Don't call the house after 8:00 pm," he demanded as he handed the card back to Steve.

"No problem. We'll only disturb you if we have to," Steve responded as he saw Chin and Kono coming his way. "An HPD officer will drop by your house later today to take your daughter's statement. You're free to go."

Not waiting for a response from him, he left a slightly stunned Robert and family standing there. Steve faced Chin and Kono, watching to make sure the Walkens were leaving and out of earshot.

"How's Grace doing?" he asked once the Walkens had gone. "And how are Samantha and Derrick?"

"Grace wants to see her dad like now," Kono said. "She's with Jerry. He's good at making her laugh and calming her down. Wendy really upset her. And Lou's kids seem okay for the most part. They're with him and his wife."

Instantly on guard and in protective Uncle Steve mode, he asked, "How did Wendy upset Grace?" Kono and Chin proceeded to fill him in on what happened prior to his arrival.

"Damn. That girl is a miniature version of her father. Gonna be a major pain in the ass when she gets older. Hell, she already is one." Sighing, Steve continued, "Chin, call Duke and have him come down here. We'll have him send an officer to the Walkens and one to the Carmenskis to get the girls' statements. I'm most interested in Luvie's." He thoughtfully rubbed his chin.

Chin gave Steve a quizzical eye. "Why didn't we get them now?"

"Nope," Steve grinned mischieviously. "Let Luvie's father do some preliminary work for us. And let Wendy stew a little."

"Steve, how's Danny?" Kono interrupted.

Sobering quickly, he responded, "He's in rough shape. Concussion, swelling in the brain, deep head laceration, broken bones, bruises." Shaking his head, he continued, "They're running him through a CT scan and x-rays right now. I'm going back to him as soon as we're done here."

"Right now I need to check on Grace."

/*/*/*/

"Samantha, baby, you okay?" Lou protectively hugged her. "Derrick, are you all right?" he asked as Renee wrapped her arms around her son.

Samantha didn't say anything as she collapsed in her father's arms. Derrick mumbled an "_I'm okay"_ looking down as his mother embraced him.

"Your daughter was suffering from very mild shock. She was given fluids and she appears to be okay now. She needs to rest for the rest of the day and drink plenty of water. Your son is one tough guy. The doctor checked him over and he's good. I suggest he drink lots of fluids today, too. They were out in the sun and the accident shook them both up," the male nurse said as he ruffled Derrick's hair. Derrick grinned a little.

"He's a great kid. Helped save Detective Williams today. I couldn't be prouder," Lou beamed.

Derrick's face fell. _Not again. I'm not a fricking hero. _This was getting on his nerves. If he heard much more of this he was going to explode.

"Hey, Samantha, Derrick, can you stay with your mom for a minute? I need to talk to your dad, okay?" the nurse asked.

Lou looked concerned as the nurse took his arm to lead him away from his family.

"I don't know how to bring this up exactly," the nurse hesitated, "but your son seems a little off to me."

"What do you mean off?" Lou queried, worry in his voice.

"He seems distracted. Laughing one minute, quiet the next. Is he always like this?" the nurse asked.

"No," Lou simply said looking over to where Derrick was standing with his mother.

"He seems a little young to be hitting the teen angst years, but I just wanted to make sure you knew what was going on," the nurse smiled, trying to make Lou feel a little better. "It could just be the shock of what happened today. It sounds like he really stepped up and helped out. That's a lot for a young man his age."

"Yeah," Lou acknowledged. "I'll talk to him, find out what's going on in his head. Thanks for your observations." Now Lou was concerned all over again. He thought Derrick had started to come out of his funk. Of course today didn't help anything. He would have thought being a mini-hero would have made him feel good. Not put him back in that moody space. _Damn. _

_/*/*/*/_

Sitting in the corner of the room, Jerry and Grace were playing tic-tac-toe on the back of a torn hospital form with a dull pencil borrowed from the ER intake desk.

"Hey, Grace face," Steve smiled as he walked up to them.

"Uncle Steve!" Grace jumped up and literally hurled herself at him. Steve grabbed her and pulled her into a gentle hug. Kneeling down to eye level with her, he semi-seriously asked, "So what's this I hear about you punching a girl in the stomach. And you threw the first punch? What happened, huh?" He still held her and his tone was affectionate, not angry.

"Well, she made me mad, Uncle Steve. She said bad things about Danno and everybody heard," Grace quietly confessed. "When she said he was stupid, I just couldn't help myself. Danno is not stupid and no one says things like that about him. Not around me anyway. So I punched her. She deserved it," Grace said defiantly, looking up at him.

Steve tried so hard not to grin, but a little one escaped. "Grace, you know Danno would be really upset with you for doing that, don't you?" Grace nodded eyes to the ground. Again Steve couldn't help himself when he smiled, lowered his voice and said conspiratorially, "Secretly I think he would be glad you defended his honor, but don't tell him I said that, okay?" Grace giggled, nodding and holding her head up to meet his playful eyes.

"When can I see him Uncle Steve? I really need to see him."

"I know, sweetheart. He's going through some tests right now. It could be a pretty long wait before they'll let us visit," Steve explained. "Do you think you could handle going home for a little bit, getting something to eat and maybe take a nap?" Before she could protest, he continued, "I promise I'll wake you as soon as the docs say we can see him." Catching her eye, he repeated, "I promise."

"I guess," she reluctantly agreed.

"Good. But promise me one thing," he said as he stood up and crooked a finger under her chin pulling her head up to look at him.

"What's that?" she asked with all the sweet innocence she was.

"No more hitting anybody unless Danno or I tell you it's all right? Understood?" Steve attempted to be firm.

"Okay, Uncle Steve. Only if you say it's all right. But do I have permission if that girl says any more mean things about Danno?"

"Gracie..." Steve warned.

"Okay, Uncle Steve," she giggled.

Steve grinned at her thinking to himself _Only if I can watch, Grace. Only if I can watch._

/*/*/*/

Renee took Samantha and Derrick home once all the chaos dissolved. Steve gathered his team together leaving Grace in the corner of the room in Jerry's care. Chin, Kono and Lou sat at the only table in the room waiting for Steve's direction.

"Okay, guys, first things first. I've asked Duke to lead this investigation for obvious reasons. Ms. Wendy Walken has concocted a story that she and Luvie didn't cause the accident. We're going to have to prove we were not at fault."

"That should be fairly easy," Lou stated. "They're just a couple of young women. Scared young women."

"Young or not, Luvie is under Wendy's influence. Even with all her bravado, I think Wendy _needs_ her father's approval. She's going to fight hard to maintain her story," Steve added. "She thinks she's in control, but that's only because of her youth and ignorance. We have several angles to work. We're not leading the investigation, but that doesn't mean we can't help it along," Steve smiled.

"What do you have in mind?" Chin asked.

"Yeah, I'm all ears," Lou chimed in.

At that moment Duke Lukela strode into the ER and spotted the 5-0 team off to the side.

"Hey, Duke. Thanks for coming down." Steve held out his hand to the man. Duke warmly shook it.

"Okay, what do we have here?" Duke queried.

Steve filled him in with Lou, Chin and Kono interjecting here and there. Duke listened and jotted down notes. Steve gave him Robert's and Leo's business cards. He also provided him the names of the EMTs and Medivac personnel involved.

"All right, I'll get one of my guys to take your statements for the accident and then for what happened here." Glancing over towards Grace, he added, "I'll take Grace's and Jerry's right now so you can get her home."

"Good. We'll help where we can..." Steve started to say before Duke cut him off.

"Steve, don't you or any of your team do anything to hinder this investigation, understood?" Steve reluctantly nodded. Duke gave him a knowing look. The rest of the team chuckled at Duke's expression.

"Okay if I send someone over to your house to get Samantha's and Derrick's statements now?" Duke directed to Lou.

"Sure, sure. I'll call my wife. Tell her to expect someone."

/*/*/*/

Having sent his team home for the evening with their assignments for the next day, Steve was sitting outside the waiting room where Danny was being treated. Jerry had taken Grace to his place with instructions to stay with her until he got there. He felt like he had covered all his bases. Leaning his head back against the wall, he closed his eyes. That lasted all of a minute as Dr. Liu approached and said his name.

Immediately on alert, Steve snapped his eyes open. "Well, how is he?" He didn't like the look on the doctor's very serious face.

"I have good news and not-so-good news," Dr. Liu reported. "Which would you like first?"

**_~ to be continued ~_**

_Evil, I know. Especially making you wait so long for an update and then a cliffie. Bad bunnies. Danno returns next chapter. :-)_


	8. Blame and Conscience

_Thanks again for all the reviews, favs and follows. I apologize for falling behind on getting back to everybody individually. Working on it! _

_My incredible beta, Phoebe, continues to outdo herself. Without her I doubt I would ever get anything posted! Thanks, babe…_

***** H50 *****

Luvie was miserable. She hated lying to her parents. She had always been a "good" girl, smart, considerate, kind. This thing with Wendy hung over her head. She wanted to keep the friendship, but she didn't want to lie about what happened. Her biggest fear was that it WAS her fault that the detective had been hurt. She tried, she really had, not to hit him, but she couldn't control the jet ski's speed or its direction once she had cut the engine in panic. From everything she had heard in the hospital, he was injured pretty badly. She was scared. What if he died? It would be on her, not Wendy. These thoughts swirled in her head even as she battled her own physical pain. She was sore and now very tired. The adrenalin of the day had left her body on the ride home. All she wanted to do was lie down and sleep.

She had seen her dad glancing at her in the rearview mirror on the way home. Their eyes met only once and she quickly looked away. Her dad's eyes pierced her soul and she could barely stand it. It was a very quiet ride. She knew her parents were upset. Not only with her being hurt, but also because she had stretched the truth about studying with Wendy. She wasn't looking forward to the _discussion _that would inevitably follow.

As Leo pulled into their driveway, Luvie was relieved and terrified all at the same time. What was she going to tell her parents? When the car stopped, her father came to the back door and helped her out. Her leg was throbbing and her head was keeping time with it.

It had been a long day. They hadn't left the hospital until early evening, close to dinner time. A typical beautiful Hawaiian sunset was just beginning. She was looking forward to escaping into sleep. She ached worse than she thought she would. As she leaned on her dad, her mom opened the door to the house. She was glad they lived in a ranch style house. Steps were an obstacle she had no desire to tackle right then.

"Come on, Luvie, let's get you settled," Leilani urged her daughter.

"Okay, mom. I'm really tired," she replied hoping beyond hope this conversation could be delayed as long as possible.

"I'm sure you are, sweetheart," her mom comforted. Luvie cringed. Her folks were being so understanding, her conscience was suffocating her. And she was very aware of her dad's concerned eyes on her back.

"Mom, you mind if I get changed into my pajamas? I know it's still early, but..."

"Sure, it's okay. Do you want my help?"

"No, I don't think so. I'll holler if I need you."

"Do you want me to fix you something to eat? A sandwich, some soup maybe?" her mom asked. "I didn't have time to fix dinner what with all the excitement today," she apologized.

"Mom, it's okay. It's not your fault. It's mine," Luvie replied. Looking up at her mom and dad, now standing behind her mom, she added, "I'm sorry. I messed up and ruined your day." Luvie was near tears.

"Get changed, sweetie. I'll fix you some tomato soup and a grilled cheese. Your favorite comfort food. We can talk after, if you want."

Luvie knew she was lucky to have the parents she did. It was why she felt so guilty. Turning to walk towards her bedroom, she said softly, "Thanks, Mom."

Just as she reached her bedroom door, her cell phone rang. She didn't even have to look at it to know who was calling. She had Wendy's ring programmed to an old '60's tune, "Leader of the Pack". Luvie limped into her bedroom, shut the door and sat down on her bed.

/*/*/*/

"I can't do that, Wendy!" Luvie exclaimed into the phone. There was a brief pause and she continued.

"I'm not going to lie for you, Wendy."

_Pause. _

"Because it's not right. That man got hurt because of us."

_Pause. _

"What do you mean it's my fault and not yours?"

_Pause. _

"Where could I go? You had me pinned. It was either run into you or go around the boat on the other side! How was I supposed to know there was a man in the water or that there was a downed skier?"

_Pause. _

"Are you kidding me? You're going to hang me out to dry if I don't go along with you?"

_Pause. _

"That's blackmail, Wendy. Are you that afraid of your father? That's crazy."

_Pause. _

"Jail? You really think they'd put me in jail?" Luvie's voice wavered just a bit.

_Pause. _

"Okay, okay. You know if we sign police statements with your story, we could be in trouble for lying. We just had a section on obstruction of justice in my political science class. I think that's what they might get us on. If it goes to court, it could be perjury!"

_Pause_

"Well, only if they don't find out the truth."

_Pause. _

"Gee thanks, Wendy. You didn't hit the guy so I'd be the only one in trouble. Thanks a lot." Luvie thought to herself _some friend you are. _

"I gotta go, I hear my mom calling me. Yeah, yeah, I'll tell the cops _'our' _story. They're going to be here in a little while."

_Pause. _

"Okay, bye."

Leo didn't mean to eavesdrop. He had gone down to the master bedroom to change clothes and had passed his daughter's room on the way back. He heard her talking to someone and it didn't take him long to figure out it was Wendy. To say he was disappointed in what he overheard would be an understatement. At the sound of Luvie shuffling like she was moving around, he hurried down the hall to the kitchen.

Making a decision, he dug the 5-0 Task Leader's card out of his wallet he had left laying on the table. Flipping it over he quickly dialed Sgt. Duke Lukela's number Steve had written on the back. When the call was picked up he said, "Sgt. Lukela? This is Leo Carminski. Commander McGarrett gave me your number at the hospital today. My daughter was involved in the boating accident." He paused. "Yes, yes, that's right. Could I ask a favor?" Another pause. "Would you mind sending an officer over in the morning to get my daughter's statement?"

"Great, great. I appreciate it. $he's worn out from the day. Thank you so much."

Leo was not going to let his daughter sign an official written document containing a blatant lie if he could help it. He'd talk to her tonight and in the morning, too, if that's what it took.

/*/*/*/

Pulling into his driveway, Lou turned off his vehicle. He sighed loudly as he climbed out. His entire family came rushing from the house to welcome him home.

"Honey, is everything okay? We're so worried about everybody, especially Danny," his wife said as she hugged him. Both Samantha and Derrick were quiet, but looked at their father expectantly.

"I'm going back to the hospital once I freshen up and have something to eat. I know it's getting late, but I won't be able to sleep without knowing about Danny. I need to see him for myself," Lou responded as he turned to go to the back of his SUV.

"Derrick, you want to help me for a second?" he asked his son.

"Sure, Dad," Derrick barely got out before Samantha chimed in. "I'll help, Dad."

"That's all right Sam, Derrick and I can handle it. You go inside with your mother. We'll be in in a minute." Samantha looked disappointed, but Lou ignored it, turning his attention to Derrick. "C'mon, buddy. We can have this done in no time," Lou nudged him. Derrick hesitated only briefly. Grinning, he followed his father to the back of the vehicle.

Coolers, beach chairs, towels and miscellaneous things made their way into the single car garage. Emptying anything that could go bad into plastic bags, they locked up the garage and went into the house where Cynthia and Sam were waiting. Handing the bags to his wife, Lou gave Sam a big hug and asked her how she was doing.

"I'm good, Dad," she smiled back at him. "I feel a lot better now that we're all home." She even gave her brother a small smile.

Lou didn't want to hurt Samantha, but he needed to give Derrick some undivided attention. He was going to get to the bottom of what was bothering him if it was the last thing he did.

"Sam, can you make me up a quick plate? I'm going to take a shower, eat and then head out. Neither you nor Derrick is going to school tomorrow. Today was a tough day and we need some family time to regroup. Watchya think?" he winked at Renee. She just rolled her eyes. That was one facial gesture the Grovers had down pat.

Within minutes, Lou was ready to head out. "Hey, Derrick, you want to go with me?"

Derrick who was playing on his tablet at the dining room table looked up with a start. "Really?"

"Really." Lou smiled.

Derrick couldn't move fast enough. Tablet turned off, he was at the front door before his father. His boisterous laugh echoing after him, Lou followed his son out the door.

/*/*/*/

After his team had left, Steve had made his way to the surgical waiting room outside where Danny was being treated. Sitting in a comfortable chair, legs stretched out and his head leaning back against the wall, he closed his eyes. But his mind wouldn't rest. The doctor had delivered the news of Danny's injuries in an optimistic tone, but nothing that Steve had heard was positive to him. He felt sick to his stomach. Knowing he had to fill in his team and Grace, he was not looking forward to either. It was inevitable, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Just as he started to doze, he heard two familiar voices.

"Steve," Chin broke in followed by Kono's, "Hey, boss."

Steve slowly opened his eyes and took a deep breath as his teammates looked worriedly at him. He swallowed hard before he spoke. His stress and strain was apparent from his blood shot eyes to the tension in his body. It was obvious he had cried at least once from his still damp eyes.

"Boss?" Kono asked tentatively.

A deep sigh.

"He's in surgery right now. Arm's broken in two places. Broken wrist, too. Knee was only brushed by the PWC. We guess the knee was below the water's surface somewhat or it would have been worse. Still swollen and bruised though. He'll be in a brace for a good six weeks and then the cane will make a reappearance. Of course, that depends on the healing of his arm and wrist." Steve had to take another deep breath before continuing.

"That's the good news," he said dropping his head into his hands.

"The good news? What the hell is the bad news then?" Chin's concerned face was lined with worry.

"His shoulder is separated, an AC or acromioclavicular separation, and is badly bruised. His neck is bruised, too. Hell, there are bruises on top of bruises everywhere on his right side. Oh, and let's not forget two broken ribs. He was _lucky _his lung wasn't pierced."

"Lucky? Damn," Kono muttered wiping at her eyes.

"There's more," Steve sighed again.

"Oh my God. Steve?" Kono could hardly believe what she was hearing. Chin was quiet, silently digesting what Steve was telling them.

Steve straightened in his chair. "The scalp laceration is significant. Besides the obvious concussion, the CT scan showed a linear skull fracture and there's swelling of his brain at the point of impact. The doctors are giving him a good prognosis, saying the swelling should resolve on its own, but it's going to take some time to heal. We're looking at months and they're not even 100% sure if brain function has been affected. It's wait and see." Steve couldn't even move. Both Chin and Kono sunk into chairs beside him, both reeling from the news.

Steve stood up and started pacing, anger replacing grief and sadness. "Those girls are at fault and I'll be damned if we're going to let them get away with this. I don't care who Wendy's father is! You hear me?"

"Gotcha, boss," Kono said as she put a hand on Steve's shoulder. "I already have Duke and his team looking at the pictures captured by the Medivac Accident Investigation crew. I doubt seriously if the girls realized that pictures have to be taken at an accident site. That should give us some good evidence to prove who was at fault."

"I've checked into the girls' and their families' backgrounds. Nothing, but minor things. A traffic ticket here and there. The girls are clean, except for one thing," Chin said, eyes glimmering.

"What one thing?" Steve and Kono said almost in unison.

Chin grinned as he told them the _one _thing neither Wendy, Luvie, nor the Walkens knew. Leo Carminski had briefly mentioned it in the skirmish in the hospital, but no one paid much attention. Filling in both Steve and Kono, soon all three had smiles like the Cheshire cat. It might not be much, but it was something.

/*/*/*/

The ride to the hospital was short, but Lou was going to make the most of it. They rode in comfortable silence for a few minutes before he opened the conversation.

"So, Derrick, we had quite a day, huh?" Lou glanced at his son.

"Yeah, really. It was something else," Derrick said.

"It was really cool to see you up on skis. You did amazing for your first time." Lou was grinning. Sensing a shift in his son's mood, he continued, "You know, every time somebody brings up your skiing, you get really quiet. What's up with that?"

"I did okay. I still have a lot to learn. But I'm not sure I ever want to go again," Derrick softly replied.

"What? Why not? You're a natural!"

Sighing, Derrick tried to explain. "Detective Williams got hurt because of me."

"That's not true, son. He got hurt because of those two girls."

"But he wouldn't have been in the water if it wasn't for me falling."

"Derrick, everybody falls skiing. It's just one of those things. Even pros wipe out," Lou tried to comfort his boy.

"I know, but Dad…" Derrick started, but was cut off by his father's phone ringing.

"Just a second, Derrick."

"Grover," he answered his phone. "Yeah, sure Steve. As a matter of fact, we'll be pulling into the parking lot in just a few seconds." After a brief pause, he continued, "Derrick's with me. Is that okay?"

"Great." Terminating the call, Lou turned to Derrick and said, "We'll finish this conversation later, okay? But for now I want you to get it out of your head that it was your fault. You hear me? Derrick?"

"Okay," Derrick mumbled. Under his breath, he added _for now. _He wanted to unload his guilt. He couldn't handle it anymore.

"C'mon. McGarrett isn't a patient man." Lou had parked and was already climbing out of the SUV and locking it. Derrick quickly clambered out and joined his father as they hurried into the hospital.

/*/*/*/

"Have you talked to Duke about his findings?" Steve asked Kono as Lou and Derrick were coming down the corridor. "Do the pictures show anything to substantiate what happened? Danny was swimming to Derrick when he was struck. He hadn't reached him yet. Derrick was above water and Danny's head was down when Ms. Carminski broke the wake. _Damn. _I'm not thinking. Those pictures were taken after the accident. Not during." Steve was pacing, frustrated. Danny was still in surgery and Steve's impatience, worry and exhaustion were catching up with him.

Rounding the corner into the waiting room, Lou and his son heard the Commander's last few sentences. Derrick's cringe went unnoticed by the others.

"Hey! Glad you could come down." Steve grabbed Lou's arm and led him over to Chin and Kono. "Derrick, glad you're here, too."

"We're working on the logistics of the accident. We have a few things in our favor, but the more the better," Steve continued. "Have you given your official statement, Derrick? I don't want to put you in a compromising position by talking about it in front of you."

"Yeah, a couple of officers came by and talked to Sam and me before Dad got home."

"Good, good."

"How's Detective Williams?" he asked. Looking at the faces of the Commander and his team, he knew without them answering that it was bad.

"He's in surgery right now. Couple of broken bones, bruises. Doctors are optimistic. Say he's going to be okay. It'll take a little time," Steve related, minimizing Danny's injuries so as not to upset the boy more than he already was.

Derrick burst into tears taking all of them by surprise.

"It's all my fault," he cried as he sank into the closest chair, sobs wracking his body. Grover was stunned and didn't immediately react. Kono went to the boy's side.

"Derrick, we talked about this. Why do you think it's your fault? Obviously something deeper is going on here," Kono coaxed softly placing her hands on his shoulders. Lou started to move towards her, but Chin placed a hand on his arm to hold him back. "Let Kono work her magic," he whispered to him.

Steve watched the unfolding drama quietly. Kono had mentioned to him earlier that the boy seemed off and was blaming himself for what happened.

Kono gently moved Derrick's hands from his face and looked into his eyes. "What's going on in that head of yours, huh?"

Looking up, all he saw was concern in the eyes of the adults. No blame, no anger. Hiccupping between sobs he managed to get out, "I was skiing behind the boat in the wake like Detective Williams taught me. I was doing good. I wanted to impress my dad." He stopped as his sobs became more intense. "Danny told me not to. I thought I could do it. I really did. I… I went outside the wake and lost my balance. It wasn't an accident. I did it on purpose." His voice disintegrated into loud sobs, his shoulders shaking again. Steve and Lou exchanged a glance. Kono's eyes met Chin's as Derrick had covered his eyes again.

"Oh, Derrick," Lou displaced Kono as he knelt down in front of his son. "That's all? You've been upset about this all day?" He wrapped his arms around his boy and pulled his head to his shoulder. Tears pricked at his eyes, too. Derrick cried as he clung to his father.

Sometimes Lou forgot just how young his son really was. He always acted so mature, it was easy to forget.

"Son, Danny getting hurt was an accident. A terrible, terrible accident. You did nothing to cause it. Nothing." Lou continued to comfort his son while Steve, Chin and Kono regrouped.

The ringing of Steve's cell phone disrupted the quiet that had fallen over them. "Yeah, Duke?" he answered.

"I'm really sorry to hear that. Yeah, yeah, thanks." Steve ended the call. With a discouraged sigh, he told Chin and Kono, "Well, the pictures from the helicopter are inconclusive as to who was at fault."

"What? How can that be?" Kono was shocked.

"Yeah, that makes no sense," Chin concurred.

Scrubbing his face with his hand, Steve added, "By the time they got there, the wake from the boat was gone. From the position of the PWCs in relation to the boat, it was unclear whose fault it was. Duke admitted from his point of view it looked like we were in the right, but it can't be proven from these photos."

"He made it a point to tell me that just because we're law enforcement it doesn't automatically give us a bye. In fact, it means we have to prove our innocence beyond a reasonable doubt. Mr. Walken will think we're being given preferential treatment otherwise. He has already basically told Duke that."

"That just means we have to dig a little deeper," Chin added thoughtfully.

"Can we get access to all the witness statements or are they off limits?" Kono asked.

"Off limits for the moment. We still have some angles to work. Beginning with Luvie Carminski. We have to tread lightly though or Duke will have my head on a platter. But I'm not adverse to using subterfuge to our advantage." Steve was thinking and he knew if Danny was there his best friend would swear the smoke was coming out of his ears.

**_~ to be continued ~_**

_I know I promised Danny in this chapter, but the muses had other ideas. However, the good news is the next chapter will be up by Friday. BEFORE 5.18 airs at 9 pm US EST. Stay tuned. __J_


	9. What Now?

_A pre 5.18 present... ;-)_

_Thanks to all my readers and reviewers. You make my day. _

_And Phoebe, what can I say? You rock!_

**_Warning: _**_Contains episode 5.04 spoilers._

***** H50 *****

Leo sat at the dining room table where Luvie was eating her soup and sandwich. He studied his daughter carefully. To him she looked stressed. Not just hurting and sore. Accidentally brushing his leg against hers, she winced and jumped to move her leg away.

"I'm sorry, baby." Her father reached over to touch her arm. "Does it hurt badly?"

"It just aches. The cuts itch like crazy. Maybe mom can change the bandages after I finish eating."

"Sure, sweetie. I'll take care of them for you." Her mom smiled at her while she was putting clean dishes away.

Clearing his throat, Leo said, "Luvie, can I ask what you were doing driving a jet ski? Those things can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing." Then he waited. Luvie put down her spoon and turned to face her dad.

"Yeah, I found that out the hard way," she admitted as she scratched her bandages with her left hand.

"Don't do that, Luvie. I'll put more cream on them. That should stop the itch." Her mom was such a _mother. _All the things that made a woman a good one – kind, nurturing, comforting, loving and smart. Both her parents were smart. Thinking about them, her eyes filled with tears.

"You guys are the best parents ever," she blurted out. "You haven't yelled at me or anything. I lied to you. Well, I left out some things. My Poly Sci teacher explained why the courts have you swear to 'tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth'."

"Oh, why's that?" her mom said putting down the towel she held and sitting down next to her daughter.

"Because you can tell the truth and still leave things out or exaggerate or add things to it. You know, like me telling you we were going to study which was true, but leaving out that we were going to be at her beach and on their yacht. That's the whole truth thing."

Leo was smiling. He understood the oath. He was glad his daughter had that knowledge now, too.

"I'm glad you understand that. A lot of people don't have a clue and think it's just something judges and lawyers made up," Leo laughed.

Sobering a little, he asked her again, "So, when did you two decide to go jet skiing?"

Grimacing, Luvie looked at her father. "Wendy got two for her birthday. She said her parents got her two because of me. One was for me. I was so excited. I was so dumb."

Leo said, "I'd be excited, too, if I were in your shoes. Did Wendy or her parents tell you that you have to be certified in Hawaii to use one?" He knew the answer, but he waited for Luvie anyway.

Eyes huge, Luvie stared at her dad. "No, they didn't. Wendy showed me the basics and said we were good to go. Damn, I mean darn."

"You have to take courses and pass the tests before you can be certified. And, even then you have to be careful. Oceans, waves and tides can be tricky things. You also have to watch out for other people boating, skiing or jet skiing. You have to constantly be aware," Leo informed his daughter.

Luvie chewed on the last bite of her sandwich. "Gosh, Dad, now I really feel stupid."

"Don't. A lot of people don't know any better. I just don't want you to be one of them."

"Why aren't you really angry with me?"

"Oh, trust me, your mother and I are. We'll have a long talk when you are feeling better and all this police business is behind us."

Luvie almost choked on the soup she had spooned into her mouth. "Are they going to be here soon? I'm really tired and not feeling all that great."

"They're not coming until tomorrow morning. I called to let them know you were worn out. Plus I wanted to talk to you first." Her father was leading her into the conversation he really wanted to have.

Her stomach started to tie into knots. She wasn't sure where her father was going.

"Luvie, I know how much Wendy's friendship means to you. She's popular, fun and rich. She can afford to do things that we can't. For that I'm sorry, but I'm not embarrassed that I'm not wealthy like Mr. Walken. There are more important things in life than being financially well off. I'm proud of our values. I'm proud of you. You're an incredible girl. Angry with you or not right now, your mother and I will always love and support you. You're my bestest girl. You know that, right?" Leo told her.

"I know, Dad. I love you and mom, too."

"I just want you to remember that, as trite as it sounds, character is more important than anything. If you can't live with yourself, who _can_ you live with?"

Her mother smiled knowingly at her husband. She knew he was up to something and that he was more aware about what was going on with Luvie than she was. She had always admired his wise way of dealing with troubling situations. That was one of the things she loved about him. Skillful at leading people to their own conclusions of what is right and wrong, he was a good man, father and husband.

"Thanks, Dad. I appreciate you. I really do." Luvie had an inner calm she hadn't experienced all day. She knew what she had to do and it gave her a sense of peace.

"Okay, enough seriousness for the night. Up for a game of backgammon before bed?" he asked her.

"I'm kind of tired. Rain check?" Luvie responded.

"Absolutely. Get a good night's rest, sweetheart." Kissing his daughter on her forehead, he grabbed his wife's hand, pulled her up out of her chair and spun her around in the kitchen, making them all laugh.

/*/*/*/

It was a long night. The rest of his team long gone, Steve had stuck around the hospital after Danny got out of surgery. Now sitting at his side in the ICU, Steve was still upset and unsettled as he looked at his partner. Even though the doctors were pleased with the outcome of the surgery, Danny didn't look comfortable at all. The limbs on his right side were all immobilized in some way. Knowing his partner like he did, Steve winced at the thought of Danny's complaining about not being able to move. This actually brought a smile to his face. He was looking forward to hearing his partner's voice again. Ranting, croaking or otherwise. It didn't matter.

As the night shift nurse came into the room, he glanced up at her. Armed with a blanket and extra pillow, she set them on the arm of Steve's chair.

"We know you 5-0 types. You're not leaving, so I want you to be as comfortable as possible."

Steve nodded appreciatively. "Thanks."

"You know that chair reclines," she smiled at him. "'Bout time they got rid of those God awful plastic things they had the nerve to call chairs. More like body torture, if you ask me," she said as she moved to push the lever on the chair. Steve gently grabbed her hand.

"Thanks, but I want to sit up for a while. I'll put it back when I get tired."

Even though he looked wiped out, she doubted he would actually sleep.

"Okay, no problem. My name's Cora. I'll be Detective Williams' nurse for the evening. Actually I'll be on until 7:00 am. I'm just going to check him over and then I'll be out of your hair."

Cora went about her business collecting Danny's vitals. Every _"hmm"_ made Steve's nerves stand on end reminding him of Dr. Liu's overuse of the sound. "Something wrong?" he asked anxiously.

"Oh, no, no. I always make noises when taking patient's vitals. Bad habit I guess. Makes people nervous from what I've been told," she chuckled.

Steve laughed. "Yeah, just a bit."

"He's doing well. Blood pressure is stabilizing finally, oxygen stats are good," she continued. Hesitating only briefly, she added, "His temp's up slightly, but I'm sure it's nothing."

"You sure?" Steve was instantly on alert.

"Oh, it's just above 99°F. Nothing to worry about. I'll be back to check on him in a couple of hours. Call me if he wakes up, okay?" Cora patted Steve on his leg as she gathered her supplies. "You get some sleep now."

Steve tried to get a little more comfortable in the recliner. Staring at Danny, he frowned. He just couldn't believe what had happened in the last 24 hours. His partner once again laid up in a hospital bed. How many times was this? He had lost count. Danny's injuries over the past five years would fill a medical journal. It was amazing he had any original parts left. Scar tissue had to be piled on top of scar tissue. How many times could he be shot, stabbed, poisoned, concussed, almost drowned, burned, beaten up, tortured, what-have-you before he threw his hands up and shouted _'Uncle! I give!'_.

Steve shook his head. He wouldn't blame Danny if he never wanted to leave his house again. Glancing one more time at his quiet, non-moving partner, he reclined the chair all the way back. Stuffing the pillow beneath his head, he turned on his side facing Danny and draped the blanket over himself. It was a while before his eyes closed, but eventually he drifted into an uneasy sleep.

/*/*/*/

It was several hours later when Danny woke up groggy and confused. Eyes still blurry from a drugged sleep, his head pounding, he went to shield his eyes with his right hand completely unaware that that wasn't going to happen. Attempting to move, his whole right side felt numb. Moaning, his self-appointed shadow immediately stood in front of him.

"Your eyes hurt? You have a headache? Are you in pain? Thirsty? What do you need?" Steve's words were rushed. In his hazy mind, all Danny heard was one long run-on sentence. Finally realizing his left hand was free, he held it up to stall Steve's onslaught of words.

Misunderstanding, Steve grabbed it and held on. Now Danny couldn't move either hand.

"L…let g…g..go, n..nin..ja g..oo..f," he slurred out. God, speaking hurt. It felt like every syllable rattled in his brain. He felt so weak.

Steve gently put his hand back on the bed, even though his eyes were darting around like a lizard surveying its prey. On high alert, he was ready to jump at Danny's slightest request.

"S..t..v, c…c..alm d…w…n, 'k? M..ma…kin' m…e d..iz..zy." Danny closed his eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Steve sat on the edge of Danny's bed. "How you doing, partner?"

"L…l..ike r…rn o..vr j…jt s…ki," he mumbled. Steve chuckled, grimacing at the same time.

"That about sizes it up, buddy."

"H…h…ow b…b..ad?"

"Bad enough. Let's table this discussion for a bit. I need to let the nurse know you woke up, okay?"

Danny acknowledged Steve's words with a quick squeeze on his forearm with his one free hand. Watching his partner's eyes slip closed, Steve quickly pushed the call button. Dropping his hand limply on the bed as Steve shifted, Danny groaned. Every little movement caused an ache somewhere in his body. Testing each limb, he realized he was trussed up like a mummy on his one side. He desperately wanted to know what happened after he was hit. His vague memories came and went in his few temporary lucid moments. He knew he was drifting back into that void where nothing made sense. He had no control over it. He was only a pawn in its game of hide and seek. He wished Steve would come back before it took him again. He didn't realize he had never left. Steve was watching him closely, not talking.

"Detective Williams, I'm glad to see you awake." Cora reached over the bed to turn the call alert off. "You are awake aren't you? It's hard to tell behind your closed eyes."

"D…n..ny."

"Okay, that's good. You know your name? Do you know what day it is?"

"T..to…dy."

"Ha! Funny man. Yes, it's today. Do you know the date?"

"Uh… S…sn…dy?"

"That was yesterday. It's very early in the morning Monday. Do you know what month it is?"

"M…mr…ch." Even these small responses were taking what little energy Danny had stored. Cora noticed his struggle and patted his good arm. "That's enough for now. The doctor will be in around 7:00 am to conduct a more thorough exam. Let me check your vitals and you can go back to sleep."

Danny didn't respond. _What? He had said about 15 words and he was wiped? What was that all about? _He didn't even have the energy to answer his own questions. And his head was pounding like a timpani orchestra.

"Hmm." Cora checked his vitals hmm'ing the whole time which completely unnerved Steve.

"Well?" Steve bounced on his toes waiting impatiently.

The very light snoring told them that Danny had dropped back to sleep. Again.

"His vitals are good. I'm a little concerned about his temperature. It's up again. 101.2°F. It's 3:30 am right now," Cora stated as she looked at her watch. "When Dr. Liu comes in we'll see what he has to say. I don't want to give Danny any more medications right now. He's on anti-inflammatories to reduce swelling and morphine for the pain. He's also on a low dose antibiotic to ward off any potential infection from his head wound."

Seeing Steve's concerned face, she promptly patted his arm in a motherly fashion. "Don't worry too much. I'm sure it's just his body's reaction to all the trauma it's sustained."

Easier said than done. Aneurism face was in full display. The gnawing, ominous feeling in Steve's gut just wouldn't go away.

/*/*/*/

Breakfast at the Carminskis was a family affair. Father, mother, daughter all gathered around the table after each had done their thing in the kitchen. Today was Luvie's turn to clean up so she got to sleep in a little late. Leilani was cooking turkey bacon in the microwave and making her daughter's favorite scrambled eggs with peppers and a dollop of cheddar cheese. Leo was whistling as he toasted bagels. The coffee pot was perking. The fresh squeezed orange juice poured. Luvie had set the table the night before.

Leo happily bustled around the kitchen, playfully catching a kiss from his wife as he took plates of food to the table. Leilani laughed as her husband came back and grabbed her around the waist, giving her a quick hug. She loved when her husband was in a good mood. She knew he felt positive about his conversation with his daughter the night before. She was happy, too. _Everything was going to work out. It would all be okay. _

Glancing at his watch, Leo was surprised Luvie wasn't up and about.

"Hey, Sleepyhead!" he shouted down the hallway. "We're getting visitors in less than 20 minutes. You better be up and dressed," he jokingly said.

Getting no response, he went to his daughter's room and knocked on her door. At the same time he heard her cell phone ring. _Damn Wendy_. He recognized the ring tone. _Couldn't she leave Luvie alone for half a minute. Sheesh! _ Waiting for Luvie to pick up the phone or respond to his knock, he was surprised when the cell phone went to voice mail. He heard the familiar _'ping' _of a message being left.

"Luvie, you awake?" he called through the door. Again no response.

"Honey, I'm coming in. I hope you're dressed or buried under the covers."

Opening the door slowly so as not to scare her, he saw the lump under the covers and smiled. He hoped she had slept well. _Probably the stress of yesterday knocked her out _he thought. He gently shook what he thought was her shoulder.

"Luvie, time to get up." No response. "Luvie?"

Now worried, Leo pulled the covers back. What he saw horrified him. Luvie was shivering, a light sheen of sweat covering her face, her hair around her face drenched. Her face had blotchy red marks all over it and what he could see of her right hand, it appeared to have the same odd-looking rash. He could feel the heat radiating off her. Placing the back of his hand against her forehead, he instinctively needed to check how hot she felt.

"Luvie?" Again, no response.

"Leilani," he yelled, "start the car. Luvie is really sick. We're taking her to the hospital."

Leilani didn't hesitate. She turned off the stove, grabbed the keys from the hall table and rushed outside. Starting the car, she jumped out and hurriedly opened the passenger side back door just as Leo came out of the house with an unconscious Luvie bundled in his arms.

"You drive," he tersely told his wife. He climbed in the back with his daughter, holding her tightly in his arms.

Shutting the back door, Leilani quickly got behind the wheel and started to back out of the driveway just as a police car drove up. She threw open the driver's door shouting, "Please. Move your car. My daughter's very sick."

Seeing the man and very obviously ill girl in the backseat and the woman in a bathrobe and house slippers in the driver's seat, the officer took immediate action.

"Follow me. I'll provide you a police escort to the hospital."

The sounds of sirens filled the early morning air.

/*/*/*/

Steve had fallen back asleep after Cora checked on Danny at 3:30 am. Now he was wide awake. What transpired had shaken Steve to his core. He had trouble calming down and had called his team in a panic.

Awakening around 6:15 am to a feverish Danny moaning and whimpering, the change from less than three hours earlier was more than dramatic. It was terrifying. Steve felt like he had fallen down the rabbit hole.

With a temperature of 104.1°F, Danny was delirious. The rapid rise in his temperature in such a short period had the medical stqff extremely concerned and somewhat stymied. Dr. Liu had checked Danny's head wound the day before, but had said there was no obvious signs of infection. Erring on the side of caution, he had taken a swab from what appeared to be a healing cut and sent it to the lab just to be sure.

Steve stood there while the on-call doctors had examined his best friend, resolutely refusing to leave. Danny thrashed and struggled against real and imaginary bindings. The medical staff really wanted to physically restrain him. Of course, Steve was vehemently opposed to their use not only in theory, but also because Danny's movements were already restricted by his injuries. He knew his partner felt trapped what with his arm and wrist in a cast and strapped to his chest because of his shoulder injury, his knee in a metal brace and his neck in a protected cervical collar. His pained groans and need for movement were concerning everyone including Steve. For his partner, Steve shoved his own emotions down deep so he could focus solely on Danny's needs. If that meant he got no sleep so be it. He would be there to calm Danny as long as necessary.

As if Danny's injuries from the day before weren't enough, his feverish ramblings of Colombia, Reyes, Matt, Chin and the money tore at Steve's heart. It was good that only he knew what his partner was muttering about. The repercussions of anyone else understanding could be devastating.

Over the past few months, Danny had alluded to the fact that he wasn't sleeping well. Steve suspected it was related to Matt's horrific death and their distressing trip to Colombia. His partner hadn't told him any details. Now, Steve could only offer placating platitudes and soothing words to help his partner through the worst of his nightmare along with a sedative the on-call doctor would rather have not used because of his head wound and high fever. They were damned if they did and damned if they didn't.

"Danny, come on, buddy. You're safe. I've got you." With a hand on his left arm and one on his forehead, Steve repeated his litany of words over and over again until Danny began to calm. The contact helped Steve relax his own nerves a bit. The latest sedative seemed to be working as Danny drifted off into an unsettled sleep, twitching and incoherently mumbling, gradually deepening into what appeared to be a more restful sleep. Artificially induced, Steve wasn't sure Danny was getting the kind of healing sleep he really needed.

He was worried. Really worried. The fever was dangerously high and if Danny's confused and rambling words were any indication, he had been battling these demons for a while and he had never mentioned them directly to him. He was either embarrassed or he didn't want Steve to worry about him. Steve pretty much guessed it was the latter. But truth uttered in moments of little or no control spoke volumes and that was something Steve would be unable to ignore. When Danny was better, and he **_would_** get better if Steve had any say in the matter, they were going to have a long discussion about their mutual nightmares.

Danny's groan brought his attention back to his friend's face. _Damn. The sedative hadn't kicked in as he thought. _

"No, no, not Matty. God, no," Danny was again in that dark place. Steve closed his eyes as he rested his head against the bed rail. This was killing him. He briefly glanced up to see two very pale, very glazed eyes watching him.

"Danno, you back with me?"

Danny seemed to be peering over his shoulder at something in the room, not maintaining eye contact with Steve.

"Danno, hey, Danno. Look at me, look at me," Steve coaxed his partner. Unknowingly Steve using that precise phrase triggered Danny's most painful, guilt-filled memories. Danny scowled, half-shut eyes not giving his partner any idea what was going on in his head. _Look at me. Look at me. You look at me. _Even in his drug and fever induced haze, Danny remembered his words to Reyes before he blew his face off in that Colombian rat-infested basement. It took him back there and in his current state he couldn't differentiate between reality and his nightmares. Arching his back and crying out, it was all Steve could do to keep him from hurting himself.

"Danno, please. Please, buddy. You're safe. I'm here. You're okay," Steve murmured into his ear. Danny gazed at Steve seeing only a blurry outline. However, the tone of Steve's words and the familiarity of his voice worked its way into his semi-consciousness even if it was only for a few seconds. He let his body fall back into the comfort of his bed and pillows. He was once again out.

Steve's face was pinched and his eyes tightened against the onslaught of emotions attacking him. His eyes welled up with tears and if Chin and Kono hadn't walked in at that moment he might have just let them flow unhindered.

**_~ to be continued ~_**

_Did you catch the tribute to Danny whump lovers everywhere? For all my fellow whumpers… __J_


	10. Double Trouble

_Sorry it's been so long since I posted an update. Many of you know about my eye surgery and complications. I'm happy to say that the worst is over and I can actually see close up again. Yeah! _

_This is a short one to get the story moving along... Thanks to my fantastic friend and beta, Phoebe, for supporting and gently (well, not always so gently!) pushing me. _

_Thanks for your patience. Enjoy!_

***** H50 *****

Steve was alone in Danny's room, watching his sick partner. The doctor was due in around 7:00 am to check on Danny, and Steve was nervously waiting for his appearance.

After filling them in on Danny's deteriorating condition, he had flipped a $20 bill to Chin and Kono to get breakfast and coffee for all of them from the hospital cafeteria. Kono was visibly upset when they left which just exacerbated Steve's own emotional state.

The morning light was coming in through the private room's curtains covering the small window. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. Standing at the window, a breeze blowing the palm trees lining the beach, Steve sighed. _A beautiful day that Danny wouldn't be enjoying._He turned back to look at his friend.

It was really hard for him to see his best friend fighting through endless feverish ramblings, nightmares that had him in their throes with him thrashing, as much as he was able, in his disturbed sleep. Steve felt so damned helpless. It wasn't the first time he had seen his best friend injured, far from it. But this time it wasn't even in the line of duty. It was on a team outing that started out so well.

Moving to sit in the chair by Danny's side, Steve just hung his head, resting it on his arms that were perched on his knees. He just stared at Danny and wished that _his own_ nightmare was over. He could barely stand this anymore. How long before Danny came out of it? How long before the antibiotics took effect? How long before the fever came down? What if his brain was fried and he wasn't himself when, or if, he survived this attack to his system? And what was the cause of the fever? The doctors didn't even know. Not yet anyway.

Steve was jostled out of his troubled thoughts by a hand on his shoulder. He jumped. Normally he would have had the person pinned against the wall in a nanosecond. Now, he just looked up, wearily, and locked eyes with the nurse who had gently touched him.

"Commander, there's someone out in the corridor who wants to speak to you?" she said.

"If it's not one of my team or the doctor, I don't want to talk to them," Steve said, his voice husky with non-use and fatigue.

"Well, it's… um, one of the girls' fathers," the nurse replied. "He didn't want to disturb you, knowing you're keeping a vigil over your partner."

"Which one?" Steve asked, not wanting to speak to Wendy's arrogant father right now.

"Mr. Carminski."

Steve quirked an eyebrow at her, looking towards the corridor beyond the door of Danny's room.

"He's terribly distraught and hoped that you wouldn't mind talking to him."

"I'll be out in a minute. Just give me a second." Steve reached over to pat Danny's arm. Danny had calmed a little and Steve knew that his presence helped keep him tethered to the real world better than anybody else's. "I'll be right back, buddy. Just a minute or two, okay?" Steve slowly stood, glanced at Danny's fevered face and turned to leave. He hesitated only briefly before walking into the corridor.

/*/*/*/

"Commander, I'm so grateful for you giving me a minute of your time. How's your partner?" Leo Carminski looked at Steve with pain-filled, damp eyes.

"He's hanging in there. Mr. Carminski, how can I help you?" Leo's demeanor did not escape Steve's notice.

"Leo. Please, just Leo."

"Okay, Leo. Are you okay?"

"No. We just brought Luvie in. She was unresponsive this morning and we don't know what's wrong with her." Leo's face was a picture of fear and worry.

Steve's eyes reflected his concern as he grasped Leo's hand in his own. "What happened?"

"I went to wake her this morning because the police were coming to take her statement. I couldn't wake her," Leo said, barely holding back his tears.

"I'm so sorry. What are the doctors saying?"

"Not much, yet. They are examining her as we speak. I was hoping maybe you could give us some insight as to what happened during the accident."

"She was coherent and seemed all right except for the bruising and minor scrapes on her leg from being stuck in the jet ski," Steve responded. "She climbed on the boat without help."

"Luvie seemed relatively okay when we got home last night. She was sore and tired. My wife and I just wrote it off to the trauma of the day. So we don't really know what happened between then and now. We just don't know." A few tears started rolling down Leo's cheeks.

"Why don't we sit in the Visitor's Lounge," Steve said as he pointed to the end of the corridor. "Do you want coffee, water?"

"No, no, I just need some answers." Wringing his hands, the distraught father was just holding it together.

The two men walked together towards the lounge. Steve sat in a chair in the corner of the room away from other people waiting for news on their loved ones. Leo took the chair kitty-corner from Steve. Both men leaned their arms on their knees. Leo took a deep breath while Steve's forehead was creased with concern.

"Tell me what happened between leaving the hospital yesterday and the time when Luvie became ill," Steve prompted. Leo filled him in on every detail he could remember, including the conversation about telling the truth. Steve smiled slightly at that. He really admired Leo as a father. He could see Danny doing something like that with Grace. Leo grabbed his attention when he told him about the increased redness, swelling and soreness of Luvie's leg injuries that his wife noticed when she had redressed them the night before.

"Wait. Luvie got worse last night?" Steve asked pointedly.

"She was tired and wanted to go to bed early which didn't seem abnormal considering what she went through yesterday. Her leg was bothering her and as I told you, Leilani said it looked bad when she redressed it last night. We didn't even get a chance to check her wounds this morning. I just bundled her up and got her in the car. The police officer who came to get her statement took one look at us and gave us a police escort here."

Steve sat there in stunned silence. But not for long.

"I don't think this is a coincidence," he stated.

"What?" Leo looked up at Steve.

"Danny took a turn for the worse last night. He developed a fever and it spiked during the night. The doctors think his open wounds got infected. I wouldn't be surprised if what's going on with Luvie is the same or similar to what's going on with Danny. We need to talk to both their doctors right away." Up and moving, Steve grabbed Leo's arm and pulled him along.

**_~ to be continued ~_**


	11. Bacterium Delirium

_Thanks for all the reviews, follows and favorites.__They always make me smile._

_Enjoy!_

***** H50 *****

As Steve pulled Mr. Carminski down the hallway, he was abruptly stopped by the mass of hospital personnel crowded in and around the door to Danny's room. Letting go of Leo, he practically sprinted the rest of the way.

"What's going on? What's happening?" Out of breath, Steve tried in vain to get through the horde of people to gain entrance to the room.

"Sir, sir, please wait." A nurse held onto his shirt as Steve continued to try to bully his way in.

"I'm not waiting, dammit. What's the problem?" Steve growled.

"Commander, please," the nurse continued. Catching his eye, she said, "Yes, I know who you are. Your partner's temperature is very high. Dr. Liu just checked in and he ordered ice packs and more fluids to try and get it down. Please trust that we know what we are doing and that everything we do is in your partner's best interests."

Steve glanced at her face and backed slightly away from the door. Leo had caught up to him and gently pulled on his arm.

"Commander?" Leo questioned.

Steve looked at him as Leo guided him to a chair in the hallway just a few feet away from Danny's room.

"Let them do their work. Then you can see Detective Williams." Leo was a tower of strength at that moment. The similarities between his personality and Danny's were amazing. Leo was exactly what Steve needed right then.

Worry written all over his face, Steve allowed himself to be forced to sit down in one of the plastic chairs. _Damned uncomfortable things._ He never did understand why hospitals insisted on using them. Probably some quantity discount or some such thing. His mind had wandered temporarily. Leo was gently tapping his knee.

"I'm going to go find Luvie's doctor and bring her here. Will you be okay if I go?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," was Steve's typical rejoinder.

"Well, I'm not so sure about that," Leo chuffed. "But if you promise not to get in the doctors' way, I'll leave you alone for a minute or two."

Steve allowed himself a small smile in Leo's direction. "Go. Really. I'll stay put until Dr. Liu comes out. I promise."

Leo gave Steve a pat on the back as he stood to go find Luvie's doctor. And to check on Luvie at the same time. Turning on his heel, he moved rapidly to the elevator.

**/*/*/*/**

One of the nurses was having difficulty placing an ice pack under Danny's right armpit. Dr. Liu's patience, already thin from concern for his patient, practically yanked the thing out of her hands.

"Hasn't anybody ever taught you how to use one of these?" he practically shouted at her. Taking the pack from her, he gently moved Danny's injured right shoulder and placed the ice pack in his armpit.

Danny moaned as different parts of his body were jostled and moved. Someone had removed his hospital gown and even though he couldn't have put that in words right then, the chill of being naked made him shiver. _Hands, too many hands._ He felt confined. Trapped. Still unconscious, his mind played tricks on him. _Where was he?__Where was Steve?_ Unable to control it, he whimpered in confusion and pain.

And then without warning, he shouted, "Steve! Steve! Help me. Please help me. Pleaseeee!"

Hearing Danny's shout and forgetting his promise to Leo, Steve jumped up from his chair and ran through the swarm of people to his friend's bedside. Dr. Liu held up his hand to get him to slow down.

"Commander, calmly, please."

Nodding, Steve slowed his pace and went to Danny's side. Taking his left hand in his, he gently pushed the hair from Danny's forehead with his right. "I'm here, Danny. You're safe." The instantaneous change in Danny surprised no one. Almost the entire medical staff of Queen's knew about the tight 5-0 'ohana and the particularly close relationship of the Commander and the detective. They'd seen the healing bond work between the two men on more than one occasion.

Dr. Liu smiled briefly. "Good job, Commander. Now let's see if these chemical ice packs can work their magic on your partner's temperature."

The crisis over, most of the medical personnel had left, leaving only Dr. Liu, one nurse and Steve in the room.

Totally oblivious to the fact that Danny was lying naked on the bed, both men talked over his body while the nurse threw a new gown over him, shaking her head at the men's obtuseness. Sure that the detective would be unhappy if he knew his present disarray, she ensured that he had some dignity even if he was unconscious. Speaking softly to Danny, she tucked the gown around his body.

"Dr. Liu, I don't know if you're aware of it or not, but one of the young ladies who were involved in the accident yesterday was admitted this morning," Steve started.

"No, I did not," Dr. Liu said, surprised. Of course, he had just come on duty.

"Her parents found her unconscious this morning and couldn't wake her. Her father and I spoke before you came in. I believe there may be a commonality between her condition and Danny's," Steve filled him in.

"Yes, go on," Dr. Liu prompted.

"Remember you mentioned the new bacterial strain in Oahu's coastal waters? Well, I think that maybe both of them have been infected." Steve looked at Dr. Liu in anticipation.

"Hmmm. That could be a possibility. We don't know a lot about this bacterium yet, but the CDC may be able to shed some light on symptoms and treatment. The lab results from the detective's sample should be ready. I sincerely hope it's not this new bacterium. I'll have that checked right now." Dr. Liu looked in the remaining nurse's direction. She nodded her understanding and immediately left the room.

New groans and moans coming from Danny had both Steve and Dr. Liu looking back at him.

"Danny? Danny, can you hear me?" Steve tried to gain his attention. Danny didn't respond. Steve was alarmed.

"The high fever is causing his delirium, Commander. Hopefully, the ice packs and additional fluids will start to bring it down. I checked his head wound and even though it didn't appear to be infected yesterday, today there is additional redness at the site and some seepage. I was hoping the low dose of antibiotics I prescribed would do the trick, but apparently it did not. Sometimes it's a challenge to find the right antibiotics or doses to fight a particular infection. Everybody is different, but don't worry we're not giving up. We'll find something or somethings that _will_ work. Trust me on that."

Dr. Liu gave Steve a warm smile. He was much different than the cold doctor Steve had met the day before. Steve had to admit Dr. Liu's new demeanor calmed him a little. Obviously good at his job, Steve had to trust him. He really didn't have a choice.

At that moment, Leo showed up with Dr. Mahalika in tow.

Dr. Liu stood up immediately and locked eyes with her. "Dr. Mahalika, nice to see you although I wish it was under different circumstances," he stammered.

"Leah, remember?" she said shyly.

Steve and Leo watched the interchange curiously. Steve's finely honed skills tuned into the chemistry and history between the two. He had to hide a grin.

"Yes, yes, Leah." Dr. Liu cleared his throat. "Well, you must be the other unfortunate accident victim's doctor. Is that correct?"

"Yes, I am. Luvie Carminski is her name. And you obviously are Detective Williams' attending."

"Yes."

Steve watched their little dance for a minute before speaking up.

"We think that Luvie and Danny have been exposed to the same bacteria. They were the only two with cuts and abrasions from the accident yesterday," Steve blurted out.

"I suggest you get a sample from Ms. Carminski so we can check that possibility," Dr. Liu interjected.

"Of course, that makes sense, Wayne. I'll order it immediately. What are the detective's symptoms other than the obvious injuries?" Leah asked, pointing at the right side of Danny's body. Neither she nor Dr. Liu reacted to her use of Dr. Liu's first name.

Dr. Liu proceeded to fill her in on Danny's injuries and subsequent rise in temperature and delirium. Dr. Mahalika had Luvie's blood test results from the previous day, but she needed to check them against a new blood panel that she had just ordered this morning.

Steve and Leo stood off to the side listening to the two doctors discuss their loved ones, putting both men on edge. Impatient, Steve just wanted answers. Leo, calmer than Steve on the outside, had his own nervousness growing.

At one point, Dr. Mahalika had made several calls on her phone. The waiting was driving Steve insane. Finally, the doctors turned towards the two men.

"We have decided it's in the best interests of both patients that Leah, excuse me, Dr. Mahalika, and I work together. If we find that they have both been infected by the same bacteria, we will most likely move Ms. Carminski to this floor. Moving Detective Williams is not warranted with the injuries he has sustained. Dr. Mahalika, has already ordered a sample from Ms. Carminski's leg abrasions. The lab has been informed this is top priority. We should have the results back shortly. In the meantime, we will closely monitor both patients. Do either of you have any questions?"

Dr. Liu was formal in his presentation, but his humanness had peeked through during the crisis. Steve had a new respect for the man.

"No. No questions. You will keep us in the loop, right?" Steve's authoritativeness was not missed by either doctor.

"Of course." Dr. Mahalika spoke for both of them.

"Leo?" Steve questioned.

"I'm good. Just please let me know if anything changes. I'll be upstairs with Luvie and my wife." Leo was pale, worry unmistakably lining his face.

"Absolutely," Dr. Mahalika patted his hand.

Dr. Liu had turned back to Danny. Taking his pulse, he also placed a thermometer in his ear. Beeping, he checked it closely. "Ah, this is better," he stated with satisfaction.

"Doc?" Steve asked.

"His temperature has dropped slightly. 103.9°F."

"That doesn't sound very good," Steve mumbled anxiously.

"Well, it's come down from his worst. We'll check it every hour. Don't worry… we'll stay on top of his condition, Commander."

Just then Dr. Mahalika's phone beeped.

"What? ... Are you sure? … No, I'm just surprised is all … can you upload the data to Ms. Carminski's chart and also Detective Williams' data to his? ... No, Dr. Liu and I are working together on both these patients … okay, thank you."

She turned to face all three men in the room. All of them were staring at her expectantly.

"There is a similarity between Ms. Carminski's and Detective Williams' conditions, but…" she trailed off.

**_~ to be continued ~ _**

_I know, I know… a cliffie.__I learned from the best on this site! _


	12. Dilemmas

_Thanks for the all the reviews, follows and favorites. Thank you, too, to all the guest reviews that I can't respond to individually. I really appreciate them all. I am behind in responding to the reviews, but I will, I promise. _

_Note: Any medical 'stuff' is a product of my over-active imagination. Anybody in the medical field, please discretely hide your laughter behind the hand held over your mouth. LOL!_

_Here's looking at you, Phoebe... thanks for all your help in making this so much better. _

_On with the story..._

*****H50*****

"But what, Doc?" Steve asked nervously.

"Well, it's a little difficult to explain," Dr. Mahalika started. "Both Detective Williams and Ms. Carminski have definitely been exposed to a bacterium of some kind. It is not clear yet if it is the same bacterium."

"How are they different?" Leo interjected.

"The blood results are similar, but also different. The lab ran tests on both swabs and even though somewhat similar in their molecular structure, they are not an exact match. The lab has contacted the CDC to verify their results against what the CDC knows about this new bacterial strain." She paused. "Because it is so new, it's wait and see to determine its affect on people. I'm afraid Detective Williams and Ms. Carminski are the first reported who may have been exposed."

"But what does mean for them?"Steve was beginning to come unglued with worry.

"Well, more testing will have to be done. And, sadly to say, they may be our first guinea pigs in finding an effective antibiotic to combat the bacterium."

"Oh, God," Leo sunk down into the nearest chair. Steve slumped against the wall.

"What about the antibiotics you currently have them on?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, they are not attacking the infection strongly enough. They're simply maintaining our patients' current states. Dr. Liu and I are going to review both Detective Williams' and Ms. Carminski's charts and the data that was transmitted from the lab. Hopefully, together we can come up with a more definitive solution."

"I'm sorry we can't give you better news right now. But believe me, Dr. Liu and I are going to work diligently to find a cure for them both," Dr. Mahalika sadly informed them.

Steve lowered himself into the chair next to Leo. Both men dejected, they simply sat there not knowing what to do next.

**/*/*/*/**

The Grover family enjoyed an early morning breakfast together, an uncommon event at their house. Lou liked it. It was good for the family to spend time together once in a while, which seemed to be less and less as his children grew up. They all had their own activities and friends that kept them coming and going at all times of the day. He sighed loudly catching the attention of his wife.

"What's wrong, Lou?" Renee asked.

"Oh, nothing really. It's just nice for all of us to be in one place at the same time," he chuckled softly.

"What do you mean, dad? We live here. Isn't that bad enough?" Samantha joked.

Lou punched her softly in the arm. She laughed.

"Derrick, you think your sister's right? Is it bad enough?" Lou captured the boy's eyes.

"With her, yeah," Derrick grumbled good-humoredly.

"Hey!" Samantha shot her brother a look.

"Okay, okay, guys. Get to eating. We have places to be, people to see," Renee chimed in.

Smiling, Lou dug into his scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. The family happily and silently finished their breakfast. Samantha cleaned off the table while Renee rinsed the dishes and loaded the dishwasher. Derrick was relieved of kitchen duty so he could finish getting ready.

"Come on, Derrick, we have to go," Lou bellowed down the hallway, trying to hurry his son along.

"Dad, I'll go with you," Samantha chimed in.

Pulling Samantha aside so that Derrick wouldn't overhear, Leo said in a low voice, "Sam, I would love to have you go with me, but something's going on with your brother. I need to get to the bottom of it and the best way to do that is for me to spend more alone time with him. Okay?" He sincerely hoped she understood.

"All right, Dad," Samantha answered.

"I'm ready," Derrick yelled as he came running down the hallway almost knocking his mom over.

"Whoa, slow down, big guy," Renee laughed at her son. Wiping her hands on the kitchen towel she was holding, she followed Derrick to the door.

"You guys tell Danny and everybody else I said 'hello'. Let him know I'm thinking about him." Renee was smiling at her husband as she kissed her son _'goodbye'_.

"Ewww, mommm," Derrick ducked away. Laughing good-naturedly, Lou leaned over and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek.

"We will and hey, honey, can you try to make some semblance of order for all that stuff we lugged home from the picnic. I just haven't had time to do anything with it."

"Sure, Lou. No problem. Now hurry up and go. I'm sure Steve and the team are wondering where you are."

With that, Lou and Derrick hurried out the door, climbed in the SUV and headed to the hospital.

**/*/*/*/**

Wendy was dawdling this morning. She wondered why Luvie wasn't answering her phone. _Probably Mr. Carminski. He doesn't like me. Ingrate. After everything I do for Luvie, he has a lot of nerve. Hmmmphf. _Well, he couldn't keep her away from her. She came up with an alternative plan.

"You have reached the Carminski's. We're sorry. There's no one here to take your call at this time. Please leave your name and number and one of us will get back to you as soon as possible. _*Beep*_." _Damn answering machine. _

"Now what?" Wendy said out loud. "Hmmm."

"Dad, dad?" she shouted. She wasn't sure where he was in their mansion. He could be anywhere, even outside, she figured. When he didn't answer, she knew she had to get her behind up and moving. Throwing open her closet door, she walked to the back to rifle through her T-shirts. Picking a bright, magenta top with Waikiki hand-embroidered under a bright gold emblazoned sun on it, she turned and picked up her shorts she had discarded the day before on the softly cushioned desk chair. Quickly changing her underwear and putting on a clean, lacy bra, she donned her shorts and top. Running down the steps, she stopped when she heard her dad on the phone.

"Damn, Leo. I'm really sorry to hear that… yeah, yeah, I'll tell her… give Leilani my best… I'll bring Wendy by in a little while. I'm sure she'll want to see her… If that's okay with you... we'll see you at the hospital... all right, take care."

Wendy immediately ran into the study. "Dad?"

Hanging up the phone, Mr. Walken turned to face his daughter. His serious look and downturned eyes, unnerved his daughter.

"Dad? What is it? What's wrong with Luvie?"

"Baby, Luvie's in the hospital. Her dad and mom rushed her there this morning when they couldn't wake her," he informed her.

"But, what happened? She was fine yesterday…" Wendy sputtered.

"It happened over night. She has an infection from her cuts. They think it might have something to do with the water. Evidently, there's a new bacteria in the water where the accident happened."

"Oh, no. Well, I could be infected, too! I was in the water!" Wendy exclaimed, fear all over her face.

"Only if you had an open sore or cut, sweetheart. Were you cut or hurt?" Mr. Walken immediately came over to his daughter looking at her face, arms, legs, any part of her body he could see.

"No, no, I'm fine. Thank God." Pausing only briefly, she added, "Poor Luvie."

"Yes. And the detective looks like he was infected, too."

"Well, he deserves it! Stupid idiot jumping into the water with a jet ski coming towards him." Wendy caught herself quickly. "They had already turned the boat towards us and Luvie didn't have anywhere to go," she amended. Catching her breath, she hoped her father didn't make the connection on her poor choice of words.

"Wendy! Nobody deserves to get hurt. Nobody. No matter how ignorant their choices may be," Robert scolded his daughter. "After all, he was trying to help the boy who'd fallen."

"Yeah, but Dad…"

"No buts, Wendy. You need to watch yourself with what you say. I feel badly for both Luvie and Detective Williams, in spite of how I may have acted yesterday. I was scared for you, but that doesn't excuse bad behavior." Thinking about his own actions from the day before, Robert reflected quietly as he stared at Wendy, seeming to look through her.

"Dad?" Wendy was getting nervous.

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, baby. I'm just thinking. What do you say we go to the hospital to check on your friend and the detective? It's the right thing to do. What do you say?" Robert looked quizzically at his daughter.

"Sure, Dad, if that's what you think is right." Secretly Wendy was dreading the hospital although she wanted to check on Luvie. "Is it okay if I go dressed like this?" She waved a hand in front of herself waiting for her father's approval.

"It's fine," her dad smiled at her. "You're beautiful as always."

Wendy wallowed in her father's attention for a minute or so, primping her blond curls. They walked together to the front door where Robert picked up the keys for the Bentley convertible he had bought Wendy for her birthday.

"You want to drive?" he asked her.

"No. You drive, dad," she purred. Slipping on her gold, jewel-studded sandals, she grabbed her father's arm as they stepped out into the bright sunshine. A slight breeze kept the heat from being oppressive and Wendy loved the feeling of air blowing through her hair. Her mother didn't like convertibles, but Wendy loved them, especially when she was with her dad.

**/*/*/*/**

Rachel dropped Grace off at the hospital early. Steve had agreed to watch her while Rachel went with Stan to a business meeting in Maui for the day. Rachel didn't like the idea of leaving Grace, but she really didn't have a choice. She didn't want Grace to be alone in that big house and she wanted her to be able to see her dad, if the doctors allowed it. Either way, she knew Grace was in good hands with Steve or anybody else on Danny's 5-0 team. She was thankful Charlie's best friend's parents offered to take him for the day.

"Uncle Steve," Grace shouted as she caught her _'uncle's_ eye at the hospital entrance.

"Hey, Grace-face! How you doing?" Steve grabbed her hand. He loved this little girl almost as much as life itself. She truly was family to him.

"I'm good. How's Danno?"

"He's hanging in there, Grace," Steve said hesitantly. He didn't know quite how much to tell her.

"He's better, isn't he?"

"It's complicated, Grace."

"It shouldn't be, Uncle Steve. He's either better or he isn't." Grace frowned.

Without really meaning to, Steve gave her a lop-sided grin. "Yeah, you're right, Grace. Your Danno's developed an infection. The doctors aren't sure what caused it yet, so they're doing tests." Looking at his watch, Steve added, "As a matter of fact, that's what they're doing right now."

"What kind of tests?"

"Blood mostly. The doctors need to isolate the bacteria in his system to be able to figure out the best antibiotics to get your father well."

"Okay, that makes sense. Can I see him?"

"I'm not sure that's a great idea right now, Grace. He's really sick. The infection has caused him to have a high temperature and he's delirious most of the time."

"Uncle Steve, I'm not a baby. I'm almost 13. A very mature 13, as you so often say. I can handle it." Grace paused. Then she quietly added, "I really need to see him. It will make both of us feel better."

Steve studied her for a minute. She was an amazing young lady and he was sure it would be good for Danny to hear her voice.

"Let me clear it with the doctors, okay?"

"Okay, but hurry. I've already waited overnight. I could barely sleep."

Steve pulled her into a warm hug. "I'm on it." With that Steve led her from the hospital entrance to the elevators, pushing the button for Danny's floor.

**/*/*/*/**

Exiting the elevator, Steve and Grace were surprised by what greeted them. Medical personnel were once again scurrying around Danny's door and the room next door. Neither Dr. Liu nor Dr. Mahalika was there. Without waiting, Steve entered Danny's room.

"What's going on now?" he asked the closest nurse. His partner was once again extracted from his hospital gown and there was a flurry of activity around his bed.

"We're changing out the ice packs. His temperature is lower, but he had a seizure just a minute ago. We're trying to get him to calm down, but he's still delirious and he's fighting us. We may have to restrain him."

"You can't do that. You just can't. He can barely move now and his daughter is here." Remembering that Grace was right behind him, he turned towards the door when he heard another commotion. Grace was being deterred from entering.

"Let me take care of her and I'll be right back to help with my partner." Steve strode to the door and was glad that Grace hadn't been able to see in. He didn't want her to see her dad right then.

Leading Grace a few feet from the room and to the plastic chairs in the hallway, Steve was firm, but gentle.

"Grace, you need to stay out here for just a few minutes, okay?"

"Why, Uncle Steve? What's wrong?" Sobbing, Grace clung to Steve's hand.

"The nurses are just changing your dad's ice packs, his sheets and hospital gown. It will only be a minute or two. One of the doctors should be here by then." Steve lifted her chin with his finger and kissed her on the forehead. "Be brave, Grace. It will be okay. I promise." Of course, Steve let that last bit slip out to reassure her. He really couldn't promise anything.

About that time, more noise and more medical personnel appeared at the door of the room next to Danny's. The patient elevator opened at the same time. Steve and Grace watched as hospital orderlies rolled Luvie's bed out into the hallway and directly into the room next to Danny's. Leo and his wife followed right behind.

"Guess they decided to move her sooner rather than later," Steve mumbled to himself.

"What, Uncle Steve?" Grace's eyes were wide in surprise.

"Nothing, Munchkin. I'm going to find out what's going on, okay?"

Steve stood up when he noticed Dr. Mahalika approach him from the nurse's station.

"Commander," she acknowledged.

"Dr. Mahalika," Steve responded. "You decided to go ahead and move Luvie? Any new information?"

Glancing at Grace, Dr. Mahalika raised her eyebrows at Steve.

"Oh, sorry, sorry. Dr. Mahalika, this is Grace, Detective Williams' daughter. Grace, this is Dr. Mahalika, one of Danno's and Luvie's doctors."

"Luvie?" Grace questioned forgetting her manners for the moment.

Steve rubbed his hand over his face, his one tell when he was frustrated or worried and not sure how to handle a situation. Dr. Mahalika saved him. Extending her hand to Grace, she said, "Nice to meet you, Ms. Williams. Dr. Liu and I are taking good care of your dad and Luvie, too."

Shyly, Grace responded, "Nice to meet you, too. Is my dad going to be okay?"

"If I have anything to say about it, he's going to be just fine. It might take awhile, but I promise you we'll do everything we can to make him better, okay?" Dr. Mahalika had a daughter several years younger than Grace and she hated to see so much emotional pain in such a young girl.

Oblivious to all the activity around her, Grace's attention was pinned on Dr. Mahalika until Dr. Liu walked up.

"How are our patients?" he asked his peer. "And, who is this young lady?"

"I'm Grace, Detective Williams' daughter. Who are you?" Grace asked innocently, no rudeness intended.

Chuckling, Dr. Liu put his hand out to her. Grace shook it as he introduced himself. "Dr. Liu, your father's doctor." Seeing a look of confusion on Grace's face, he added, "Dr. Mahalika and I together are treating your father along with the young lady in the next room." He tilted his head towards Luvie's room.

"Let me check on your dad while Dr. Mahalika checks in on Ms. Carminski. Then we can talk." Dr. Liu turned and walked into Danny's room leaving Steve, Grace and Dr. Mahalika alone.

"I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere," Dr. Mahalika winked at Grace.

Grace sat there with her hands in her lap. She was upset, confused and becoming angry.

"I just want to see Danno, Uncle Steve. I don't care about all this other stuff. He needs me. And I need him," she sniffed.

"I know, sweetheart. Just give them a few minutes. If Dr. Liu thinks it's all right, we'll go in and see Danno. Okay?" Steve hated the waiting almost as much as Grace. Still worried about her reaction when she finally got to see her dad, his own concerns ratcheted up a notch. He really wanted to be by Danny's side, but he knew he was in good hands with Dr. Liu.

To make matters worse, the passenger elevators opened once more and the last people he expected to see stepped off.

_Oh, God, no._ Steve sucked in a breath, not knowing how to shield Grace from this latest intrusion.

"Mr. Walken, Ms. Walken," he offered as he stood up.

"Commander," Robert said stiffly. "Ms. Williams."

Wendy stood there, fists balled and a smirk on her face. Grace practically mirrored her opponent's body language. Neither spoke to the other. The glares from both their faces said it all. If Steve and Mr. Walken weren't there, a fist fight would have surely broken out. Both Steve and Robert felt the tension between the two girls and immediately stood in a way to keep the girls apart.

The passenger elevator doors opened once more with Lou and Derrick stepping out. Steve shook his head wishing the elevators were further away from Danny's room. He practically guffawed when one of the other passenger elevator doors opened and lo and behold, there stood Chin and Kono, breakfast and coffee in hand for him.

_Hail, hail, the gang's all here._ Steve plopped down into a chair, putting his head in his hands, leaving Mr. Walken and Wendy standing there staring at him.

Grace sat down next to him, concern replacing her anger. Rubbing his back, she innocently questioned, "Uncle Steve?"

And if that wasn't enough, a loud shout came from Danny's room and screaming from Luvie's.

**_~ to be continued ~_**

_Thank you to all the DWOCDers who 'taught me' so well. ***Smirk***_


	13. Mysteries and Lies

_Thanks again for all the support for this story. Reviews are balm to my soul. _

_It's time to unravel the truth. __(At least some of it)… Enjoy!_

*****H-5-0*****

Steve responded immediately to the shout from Danny's room leaving a stunned audience in his wake as he ran into the room.

Bending over his patient, Dr. Liu shouted for nurses to assist. Steve didn't wait. He stepped right up to help out. Danny thrashed, moaned and cried out in obvious distress.

"Danny… Danno…" Steve tried to gain Danny's attention. "C'mon, buddy, you need to stop this. You're making the medical staff, not to mention me, crazy. You're okay. You're all right. I've got your back. It's gonna be okay, but you have to work with us here." Danny seemed to hear him finally and started to calm, the heart monitor slowing its rapid beeping, while Steve held onto him, one hand on his left shoulder, the other wrapped around his wrist.

"Shhh, Danny, shhh," Steve repeated over and over. Grace was standing at the door, wide-eyed.

"What's she doing here? She doesn't need to see this." Dr. Liu motioned for one of the nurses to go to Grace. Attempting to maneuver the girl out of the doorway, Grace stubbornly refused to move.

"I need to talk to him." Her gaze pinned on her father, it would have taken a bulldozer to get her to leave.

"Honey, now's not a good time," the nurse tried to cajole her.

"Now's the perfect time," Grace said firmly. "Please, get out of my way. I need to go to him."

Dr. Liu stared at Grace. "I don't know who you are, but this is no place for you to be. You need to leave now!"

"She's his daughter. Grace," Steve spoke up.

"Even more reason for her to leave." Turning to face Grace, Dr. Liu spoke directly to her. "Please, Grace. Your dad wouldn't want you to see him like this. And, it's against the rules for you to be here."

"I don't care about rules. I need to talk to him. I can get him to calm down." She stared at the doctor. "Really. I can," she added quietly.

Steve gave the doctor and nurses a knowing look. Even though he had his misgivings, Dr. Liu acknowledged Steve with a nod.

"It's okay, Grace. Come here and talk to your dad."

Grace moved towards the same side of the bed as her Uncle Steve. Leaning down to be close to her father's ear, she softly whispered, "It's me, Danno. I'm here. You're gonna be okay. You gotta cooperate with the doctors, Daddy. Please, it's important." Wiping at a lone tear falling down her face, she placed her hand on the top of her dad's head, gently stroking his hair.

"I love you, Danno." Grace's sweet voice managed to soothe Danny. Between Steve and Grace, he seemed to lose all his fight. Dr. Liu and the nurses were surprised to say the least. They were seeing in action the power of love and human connection. Their patient definitely responded positively, foregoing the need for restraints, for which Steve was grateful.

Grateful, too, that one of the nurses had the foresight to close the door to keep other prying eyes from seeing Danny in this condition. The commotion had not gone completely unnoticed by Mr. Walken and his daughter standing in the middle of the corridor, nor by the rest of the 5-0 team who waited impatiently outside the room.

**/*/*/*/**

At the same time as Danny's impromptu intervention, a scream had resonated from Luvie's room.

Luvie had started to seize and her mother was the one screaming. It was all Leo could do to restrain his panicking wife while yelling for help.

After receiving the emergency page, Dr. Mahalika hurried to the 4th floor. Stunned was an understatement for her reaction upon seeing the conglomeration of people and medical staff in the hallway. Some standing, some sitting in the plastic chairs, others sitting on the floor, medical staff uncertain where they were needed most. Leah wondered what hurricane had swept through.

Without much time to think, she grabbed one of the nurses and immediately went to Luvie's room to see what prompted the mother's terrified scream. Understanding the fear in Leilani's eyes, she ushered the Carminski's from the room, trying to calm their rising hysteria.

Checking Luvie's vitals and her eyes with her penlight, Dr. Mahalika was more than concerned. Her patient's fever had risen to 103.9° F. It was rapidly climbing. Too fast. When Luvie was brought in, it was 102.1° F. Still unconscious, her eyes barely responded to the light. Not good, not good at all.

Directing her orders to the nurse standing by Luvie's IV, she requested ice packs and additional fluids. The nurse immediately ran to get the requisite medical supplies. Dr. Mahalika did not want to subject her patient to more stress, but in order to determine and, possibly eliminate, causes for the seizure, she ordered an MRI.

She and Dr. Liu needed to isolate the bacteria affecting their patients. And soon. Or they would be minus two patients and she was not going to let that happen.

Neither Danny nor Luvie had a history of seizures, so Dr. Mahalika was positive their reactions were to either their current prescribed antibiotics, the bacterium eating away at their systems or a combination of both.

Ensuring that Luvie was at least stabilized for the moment, she hurriedly left the room and called down to the lab. She and Dr. Liu needed to confer with the CDC immediately. Knowing that Dr. Liu was with Detective Williams, she waded through the crowd of people and knocked gently on Danny's door, slipping in without opening it all the way and closing it behind her.

"Dr. Liu? How is he?"

"He's better. For now." Dr. Liu wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.

Steve, still at Danny's side, glanced up as Dr. Mahalika entered the room. Grace never budged from her position at Danny's ear, hand still stroking his hair.

Concern for Grace on her face, Dr. Mahalika looked to Steve for permission to continue. She glanced down at Grace with a quizzical expression. Steve simply nodded. Grace had no intention of moving and Steve, even though concerned for what Grace might hear, knew he could handle any fall-out from the conversation.

Choosing her words carefully, Dr. Mahalika spoke to Dr. Liu. "I've made arrangements for us to have a conference call with our lab and the CDC in 15 minutes. If you are unable to come, I'll let you know what I find out."

"No, no. I want to be there," Dr. Liu's response was immediate. "Detective Williams' vitals have settled down. Nola will stay here and advice me if anything changes." Dr. Liu looked at the nurse as she nodded, her attention solely on Danny.

"Commander, will you stay with him, too? Your presence seems to keep him more stable." He stopped short as he glanced at Grace, catching Steve's eye.

"I'll stay. I think Grace should stay, too. I think Danny hears her. And that is the best medicine for him. I know it goes against protocol and you may think she's too young, but she is the apple of his eye and is extremely mature for her age." He winked at Grace, as she smiled briefly up at him.

"If I feel that it's not good for her to be here at some point, other members of our team can take care of her."

"I'll be fine, Uncle Steve. I need to be here for Danno." Grace was adamant.

"All right, I'll trust your judgment, Commander, but please remember the most important thing is our patient. He needs to stay as quiet as possible."

Although not spoken, Dr. Liu was concerned for Grace, too. Mature or not, seeing a parent in the condition Danny was in, could be traumatic. He sincerely hoped the Commander knew what he was doing and could handle her if things went south.

Steve nodded in agreement. With that both doctors left the room, shutting the door behind them and hurrying to the conference room to see what the CDC had to say about this baffling bacterium and its treatment.

**/*/*/*/**

Wendy spotted her chance. Dr. Mahalika and Dr. Liu had left the area. Leo had taken a clearly upset Leilani to the cafeteria, away from all the commotion outside their daughter's room. Mr. Walken had gone to make a phone call to his company. Commander McGarrett and Detective Williams' daughter were still with Grace's ill father. The rest of the 5-0 team, deep in discussion off to the side, were oblivious to Wendy's actions. Derrick was sitting outside Danny's room in one of the plastic chairs appearing to be engrossed in a magazine.

Wendy snuck quietly into Luvie's room.

"Luvie. Luvie, wake up. I need to talk to you," Wendy coerced her friend. "Come on, Luvie. I know you're faking. Come on. I don't have a lot of time."

She didn't move, of course. Wendy decided she had to take the risk.

"Luvie, when you decide to open your eyes and stop pretending, you have got to stick to our story. You understand? You change one detail and we're both in trouble. You won't have to worry about being sick. You'll be in jail," she nervously reiterated to her. Beginning to unravel out of fear, Wendy's voice was cracking.

"Damn it, Luvie. Wake up!" She wanted to scream, but knew that would bring people running.

Unbeknownst to her, Derrick had crept to the door and silently listened to Wendy's pleas and demands. His eyes grew wide as he realized what he was hearing. He very quietly made his way back to the chair and waited for his dad to finish his conversation with Chin and Kono. He couldn't wait to fill him in on what he had overheard.

He watched with interest as Mr. Walken came back upstairs, obviously looking for his daughter. Derrick politely, albeit knowingly, pointed to Luvie's room. Robert nodded his thanks and walked to Luvie's door, stopping when he heard his daughter's voice. As he listened, his face reddened. If the anger spewing from his eyes was absent, you would have thought he was embarrassed. Maybe he was both – angry and embarrassed. He waited only a minute before he entered the room and practically dragged his daughter out of there and down to the Visitor's Lounge.

"What the hell is going on, Wendy?" Mr. Walken demanded.

"Nothing, Dad. I just wanted to see Luvie. She looks really bad."

"So that's why you were begging her to _'__keep your cover'_? And accusing her of not really being sick?" He paused only briefly.

Wendy flushed and flinched at her father's words.

"You misunderstood, Daddy," she said, reverting to the more childish word to try and manipulate her father.

The disappointment on his face evident, Wendy knew she was caught. Now she really didn't know what to do. She could maintain the lie or try to wiggle out of it. She knew her father was a very, very smart man and she wouldn't be able to hide the truth from him forever. He knew her too well.

"I didn't misunderstand anything, Wendy," he sternly stated, a hint of sadness in his voice. "I want to know the truth. And I want to know it now."

"Can we talk about this at home?" she pleaded, waving her hand at all the people milling about, even in the Visitor's Lounge. "Please? I'll tell you everything there. Okay?" Scared, she didn't want anybody to overhear what she had to say. And it would give her time to try and come up with another lie to cover up the first big one.

Mr. Walken, although furious with his daughter, sighed, stood up and grabbed Wendy's hand. Planning on saying polite goodbyes to the Carminskis and Commander McGarrett and crew, he started down the hallway, Wendy in tow.

Derrick eyed the duo curiously. He wondered what Mr. Walken knew at this point. Derrick decided he was not going to let her get away with it. It was now or never to stand up and let everyone know her deviousness. As they approached him, he jumped to his feet and blocked Wendy's way.

"What's your problem, kid?" Wendy said haughtily.

"I don't have one, but you do," Derrick stared her down.

"Get out of my way. My dad and I are leaving." Already tired from the stress of the day, Wendy didn't want to deal with anything or anybody else at that moment.

Lou turned around from his position and looked at both his son and Wendy. If he didn't know better, he'd swear Derrick was about to punch a girl. A girl at least a foot taller than him at that!

As luck would have it, Grace appeared in the hallway precisely at that moment, watching Derrick.

"You're not going anywhere until you tell everybody the truth," Derrick demanded.

"What are you talking about? Leave me alone," Wendy demanded, pulling her dad's hand to go around Derrick.

Problem was, her dad didn't budge. He already suspected the truth and he'd rather she fess up than have to drag it out of her. Perhaps, young adult to young adult might be the best way to let this unfold. He already planned several very serious discussions with his spoiled daughter. Sadly, he shook his head. Not only was he disappointed in her, he was disappointed in himself for how he had obviously raised her. Pampered, wanting for nothing, he expected her to appreciate her wealthy upbringing. He never taught her and for that he planned on making up for lost time.

"What's going on?" Lou walked over to the three followed by Chin and Kono.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Grace chimed in, just a bit sarcastically.

Kono moved closer to Grace, but nobody even tried to keep Grace away. Wendy glared at her. "Nothing you need to know about," she angrily stated.

"Doesn't sound like it to me," Grace said, eyeing Wendy carefully.

"This is between my dad and me." Wendy stood her ground, even though it was fast crumbling beneath her.

As Wendy's luck would have it, the Carminskis had come back from the cafeteria and were now in the hallway with everyone else.

"Anybody want to fill us in?" Leo asked. He could tell from everybody's expressions and tense body language that something was brewing.

"Sure. Wendy, why don't you fill us all in?" Derrick said. Lou couldn't help beaming. His son, in all his youth, was not backing down. Lou couldn't be prouder even if he didn't know exactly what was going on.

Grace's balled fists and her countenance was a sure sign she was ready to pummel the girl. She wouldn't even mind Derrick's help.

Lou's phone rang, temporarily stalling the stand-off. He excused himself quietly and went off to the side to take his call.

"Hey, honey, now's not a good time," Lou whispered. He'd change his mind after he heard what Renee had to say.

**/*/*/*/**

_Renee had finished cleaning up from breakfast and had changed into work clothes before she tackled the garage. __It was dusty and dirty out there. __She reminded herself that Lou had promised to clean it up on his next day off. __Of course that was six months ago. __Shaking her head, she grabbed a bucket of warm, soapy water, sponges and rags and rubber gloves. _

_She laughed at the disarray of items brought in from the picnic.__A t least Lou and Derrick had brought in the leftovers the same day so they didn't spoil. __Wiping off the beach chairs, she stacked them in the back of the garage where they belonged. __She cleaned the coolers and stacked them near the chairs. __Goggles, binoculars, the video camera, all were wiped with a clean cloth to remove excess dirt and sand. __She was done in less than 30 minutes._

_Bringing the binoculars and the camera into the house, she peeled off the rubber gloves, fixed herself a refreshing glass of iced tea with a piece of pineapple, a new favorite, and sat down at the kitchen table.__R eflecting on the picnic, she was sad at the outcome of what had started out to be a wonderful day._

_Fiddling with the strap of the camera, she remembered that Samantha had taken it out on the boat with her father. __She wondered if she had taken pictures of Derrick skiing. __She opened the case and pulled out the camera. __Turning it on and rewinding it, she pressed __**'**__**PLAY'**__. __She smiled as she saw Steve and Danny taking turns skiing. __Then she grinned happily as she saw how well Derrick did in the beginning. __What stunned her was what she saw after Derrick had fallen. __The boat turning around, Danny jumping into the water, jet skis approaching the boat. Captured on the video, i__t all happened in a few seconds and even though the pictures were tilted at an angle, the cause and effect were clear. __She could only surmise that Samantha was losing her balance as the angle increased and then the picture went black._

_Sitting there in shock for just a minute, she grabbed her cell phone and called her husband._

**/*/*/*/**

Getting off the phone with his wife, Lou sported an impish, evil little smile. Pointing to his phone, Lou's expression let Chin and Kono know that whoever called him had told him something important. He walked up to stand directly behind Grace. Chin and Kono had taken up a protective stance nearby.

"Ms. Walken, maybe it would be better for everyone if you just answered the questions being asked. We're all interested in what you have to say," Lou stared at her.

Lou could be intimidating just by size alone. Wendy, even though rapidly losing ground, didn't seem to care. Appearances could be deceiving, because she was petrified on the inside.

"I don't know what you all expect me to say! I just came here to see my sick best friend and you're all ganging up on me. What did I ever do to you?"

"Hmmmpf," Grace snorted, balled hands now on her hips.

"Why don't you tell everybody what you were talking to Luvie about? Huh?" Derrick pushed. He couldn't stop. "You really think she's faking being sick? What is wrong with you? You think the doctors would put her in a room and hook her up to all those machines if there wasn't something wrong with her? I may be younger than you, but I think I'm a lot smarter. Do you want me to tell everybody what else you said? Because I will… if you don't." Derrick stood up straighter and his father could swear he had grown a foot.

The Carminskis, visibly upset, now knew Wendy had been in their daughter's room for the few minutes they were gone. Without their permission. Without the doctor's permission. Leo was livid.

"How dare you! You spoiled rotten brat. My daughter is deathly ill and you think she's faking? Stay out of here. Stay away from my daughter and don't ever, and I mean ever, come near my family again. Do you understand?" Leo had had it with the Walken's and their holier than thou attitudes, especially Wendy. Glaring at Robert, he added, "And that goes for you, too." With that, he grabbed Leilani's hand and went back into Luvie's room, shutting the door softly so as not to disturb their daughter.

With absolute perfect timing, Steve walked out of Danny's room to see what all the commotion was about. The Walkens, attempting to circumvent everyone in the hallway, stopped when they saw Steve. "Commander, could you please take charge of this situation? It's getting out of hand."

"Well, that depends, Mr. Walken. What exactly is the problem here?" Steve was more curious than anything as he studied everybody, especially Grace, Derrick and Wendy. Tension dripped among the three. Patiently, he waited for one of them or one of 5-0 to speak up.

"Steve, I think there's something you should know first," Lou caught Steve's attention.

"Okay. Everybody stay put for just a minute. Don't move!" McGarrett commanded.

Lou led Steve away from the group for a modicum of privacy and filled Steve in on his conversation with Renee. Steve smiled like the proverbial Cheshire cat. They had them. The proof was in the pudding as they say. And the pudding was a video.

**/*/*/*/**

**_~ to be continued ~_**

_So now we know that Samantha's camera captured the accident as it happened. __But what does that mean for Wendy? __And Luvie, when, and if, she wakes up? __And what did the doctors find out from the CDC? __Stay tuned. __Next chapter has some answers. __Will try to post by Monday! _


	14. Confessions & Repercussions

_I know. __It's Tuesday, not Monday. Have a good excuse for not posting yesterday. __The Muse. __That's it, just the crazy muse._

_There just wasn't a good place to break this chapter, so you get a long one for your reading pleasure. __It's time to find out what Derrick's been upset about and what they're going to do with Wendy! _

_Thank you, Phoebe, for your fantastic suggestions. __I love my beta... :-)_

*****H-5-0*****

Wendy stood there terrified. Commander McGarrett was even more intimidating than Captain Grover. She literally shook. Her father had his arm around her, providing some support, but he knew his daughter needed to face this and _'__fess up'_.

"Ms. Walken, you have exactly one chance, and one chance only, to make this right. If you lie now or try to be evasive, I will not give you any breaks. Do you understand?" Steve focused solely on Wendy, his face stone cold, eyes digging into her soul.

"I'mmm nn…ot surr…ee… whh…tt… you… mean," she stammered. Her father's grip on her arm tightened, sure to leave bruises.

"Ms. Walken… you are a smart girl. You know exactly what this is about. I'll repeat. You have one chance and it is here and now." Nodding at Chin, Steve called Renee on his cell phone as he waited for Wendy's answer. Everyone in the area stood completely still, watching and wondering what she was going to do.

Wendy thought about her options quickly. _She couldn't bolt – there were too many people AND her father. __Wasn't going to happen. __Tell another lie? __No, that wasn't going to work either. __Cry? __Maybe that would buy her some sympathy votes. __Yeah, she could try that._

In the few seconds she took, Steve had talked to Renee and sent Chin to bring the video to the hospital. Nobody but Steve and Lou knew about the contents of the video quite yet.

Starting to cry, Wendy began her confession. Even though she twisted some facts to make it appear more like Luvie's idea to go near the ski boat, she did admit they caused the accident. Starting out with a fake cry, by the end of her story, she was bawling. And it wasn't fake. She was scared out of her mind.

Kono took Wendy into custody, placing her in handcuffs and reading her rights to her. This was Steve's idea. Wendy needed to understand the seriousness of her actions and he was going to make her sweat. All of this intended to make an impact, it did. Grace and Derrick, stunned to say the least, were very, very quiet. Wendy, not only scared, was embarrassed and uncomfortable in the cuffs. Her crying, probably for the first time in her life, was real.

Crestfallen, Mr. Walken had agreed to meet with Steve and Lou privately to discuss Wendy's situation. He had eschewed getting his lawyer because he wanted to avoid that if he could. Instinctually, he knew Steve to be an honorable man and he decided to trust him. Afterwards, walking out of the conference room, the three men approached Kono and Wendy.

"Kono, please take Grace and Derrick to the cafeteria. We have some important things to discuss with Ms. Walken." Steve's demeanor serious, his voice was firm.

Robert's face displayed a variety of emotions, not the least of all regret. He spoke softly to his daughter and rubbed her arm in an attempt to calm her. He knew she was going to be more than a little upset at what he and the Commander had agreed to.

"Ms. Walken, please come with us." Steve treated her like he would treat any criminal. No nonsense. Here was one man she wouldn't be able to manipulate. He led the way to the private conference room, grateful the hospital allowed them to use their premises for police work.

Sitting at the large table, a cuffed Wendy next to her father and Steve at the head of the table, Steve laid out the consequences of her actions. Turning on a portable tape recorder provided by hospital personnel, he began.

"Ms. Walken, I am going to ask you some very specific questions about what happened on the afternoon of Saturday, March 21, 2015. This conversation will be recorded. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Wendy responded. No evasion, no superlatives, no exaggeration. She finally understood she wasn't getting out of this.

Steve proceeded to expertly question her about the specifics of the accident. A few things changed in her story as she realized she needed to be honest. She acknowledged she was the one who made the decision to check out the ski boat. She admitted she did not have a certificate to jet ski, although she stated she had no idea she needed one. After 30 minutes of intense questioning, the facts of the case documented, the recorder turned off, she sighed in relief. Her father's tension subsided, just a little. He knew what was coming and he was afraid for his daughter.

"Okay, Wendy. May I call you Wendy?" Steve asked. Wendy simply nodded, feeling that the worst was over.

"Here are the next steps in your arrest." Wendy's face blanched. Mr. Walken showed no reaction.

"Because you are under 18, you will be incarcerated in the juvenile wing of Honolulu's jail until tomorrow morning, when you will appear before the magistrate. Based on your statement and the recording taken just now, he or she will make a judgment as to whether to prosecute or not."

"Buttt… whhyyyy… doo… I have… toooo… go… to… jail?" Now stuttering, Wendy clung to her father in absolute, total fear. He wanted to hug her so badly and tell her everything was going to be okay, but he had agreed to Commander McGarrett's suggestions to get Wendy to understand the seriousness of her actions.

"Daddy?"

"Sweetheart, there are no other options. Because you lied, Commander McGarrett doesn't trust that you won't try to leave the house if he allowed me to take you home. I'm afraid you're going to spend the night in jail. It's just one night, if everything works out tomorrow morning."

"What do mean if everything works out tomorrow morning? What if it doesn't? Dad?" Sweating, face white as a sheet and lips quivering, Wendy didn't know what to do. She was even more scared when two police officers knocked on the conference room door.

"Hello Officers Kanaki and Jones. Please escort Ms. Wendy Walken to the HPD jail and have her processed as a juvenile. She will be spending the night and will appear in court tomorrow morning." Steve showed no emotion, no sympathy, no nothing.

"Daddy? Daddy?" Wendy was nearly crying again as Mr. Walken watched his daughter being taken away.

"I'll be there in the morning, Wendy." Robert desperately tried to hold it together. He heard her sobbing as the officers escorted her out.

Sitting down at the table and putting his head in his hands, he let out an anguished sound. Steve, no longer in _'__intimidating Commander'_ mode, went to him and placed his hands on his shoulders.

"I'm sorry I had to handle it this way, Mr. Walken, but I don't believe Wendy would get the message any other way. It also gives me time to put my suggestions together for her punishment before court tomorrow. I know who's on the bench and she is excellent with youth. I will make sure she gets my notes ahead of time. I believe she'll accept the deal we propose." Steve felt badly for the man, but he felt worse for Danny and Luvie.

"Go home and try to get some sleep. Your wife is going to need your support, too. Trust me. Nothing bad is going to happen to Wendy, but she does have some lessons to learn."

Nodding, Mr. Walken pushed back from the table, locked sad eyes with Steve briefly and walked slowly out the door to the passenger elevators.

Watching him, Steve felt a pang of sympathy for the man.

**/*/*/*/ **

During the short ride home, Derrick was quiet, thinking. Lou kept stealing surreptitious looks at this son while he drove. _What a day! __I'm giving Renee the biggest kiss she's ever had when I get home. _So grateful that she found the definitive video proving that Wendy and Luvie lied about the accident gave him some peace. He knew the rest of the team felt better, too. They were all still worried about Danny, but at least they didn't have the accident hanging over their heads anymore.

When he got home, the first thing he was going to do, after kissing his wife, was back up that video. After viewing it with Steve, Chin and Mr. Walken at the hospital, he had agreed to take the original to Duke in the morning. Rightfully in charge of the investigation, HPD could wrap this up in no time. Looking at his son again, he was surprised to see a very serious expression on his face.

"Hey, you… what's going on in that head of yours?"

"Huh?" Derrick startled, bringing his gaze back from looking out the window to his dad's face.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Lou asked.

Only briefly pausing, Derrick said quietly, "Dad, can we stop somewhere and talk? Maybe a restaurant or an overlook or something?"

Lou's expression immediately changed to one of concern. "What's wrong, Derrick?"

"I just need to talk to you. I don't want anybody else there. Okay?" Derrick's sad face made his dad's stomach flip flop.

"Sure. Let's stop at the Coconut Head Diner. Is that all right?"

"That'd be great, Dad." Derrick smiled at his father. Lou knew that the Coconut Head was a favorite of his son's and it was on the way home.

Pulling into the parking lot of the small restaurant, Lou turned off the engine, hesitating before getting out of the SUV. Reaching over to his son, he put his hand on his arm. With a sixth sense, he knew Derrick planned on telling him what had been bothering him. Lou was glad they were alone and it would just be father and son.

"Come on, Mr. Grover, let's go grab some grub." Lou jovially joked with his son, patting his arm as he climbed out of the vehicle. He pushed the key fob to lock the doors, Derrick joining him as they sauntered into the restaurant side by side.

**/*/*/*/**

"Dad, I know I've been acting weird," Derrick started as the waitress brought their drinks to the table. Stopping only for a second, Derrick cleared his throat.

"I'm not sure where to start," Derrick stumbled. Lou once again reached over and placed his large hand on his son's arm.

"Don't try to be perfect, just let it roll. I'm sure I'll figure it out as you go," Lou smiled at him.

"I don't want you to get mad at me," Derrick stated looking down at the table.

"Derrick, you are my son and I love you. No matter what, you can always talk to me, okay?" Lou gently encouraged him.

Taking a deep breath, Derrick started again. "Okay. Here goes. You know when Sam was taken and put in a cage by that guy? And then she saw him get killed?"

Lou nodded his head, not sure how Samantha fit into this picture, but he patiently waited his son out.

"Well, she was a mess when you brought her home. Remember?"

_How could Lou forget? __The worry and stress of what happened to Samantha almost killed him. __He remembered crying, slumped against a car and Danny consoling him. __One of the worst moments in his life._

"Yeah, she was," Lou admitted.

"She still is," Derrick once again looked down at the table.

"Really? What makes you think that?" his father stared at him.

"She goes crazy over the littlest things – like seeing a spider." Derrick paused, taking a sip of water, and continued, "When I fell skiing… when I got on the boat after, she was totally out of it. She was spacey and shaking."

"Well, it was a pretty traumatic accident, Derrick. Not the least of which, both she and I were worried about you."

"Yeah, I guess," Derrick sighed.

"What do you mean, you guess? Of course we were worried." Lou tried to stifle his burgeoning anger. _How could his son think he and Sam weren't scared for him?_

"Dad, I was the one in trouble. I'm the one who fell. Not her. You ran to her and hugged her. Always her. She stubs her toe. You run. She has a pimple. You run. She's like the only person you pay any attention to." The words came tumbling out. It had been building up for so long, he just had to let it all out. Damn the consequences of what his father thought.

Lou sat in stunned silence. He had no idea his son felt this way. Deep emotions skirted across his face.

"Oh, Derrick. I never wanted you to feel like I didn't care. Sam went through something awful that most people will never have to face."

"I know," he sighed. "That's why it's hard to talk about this. I feel bad for being so mad." Hanging his head, Derrick poked at his food with a fork. Neither he nor his dad had looked up when the waitress delivered their plates.

"Why are you mad?" Lou asked.

"Because you care more about her than you do me." Fighting tears, Derrick avoided his dad's eyes.

"I am so dumb," Lou sighed. "So, so dumb."

"What? No you're not, Dad. You're one of the smartest guys I know," Derrick challenged him.

"Not in this instance," Lou said shaking his head. "Ah, Derrick, I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to feel left out or that I didn't love you as much as Sam. That's the furthest thing from the truth. Sometimes I forget that you're only 11." Lou smiled at him. "You are so mature and I am so proud of you." Near tears himself, Lou silently berated himself for being so oblivious to his son's needs.

"Ah, geeze, Dad. Now I've upset you. I knew this was a bad idea." Derrick pushed away from the table, distraught and started to get up.

"No, no, no. Sit down. I'm not upset with you. Not at all. I just can't believe how blind I've been, Derrick. In trying to protect Sam and to make her feel better, for something that I felt responsible for, I forgot that you need me, too.

"Dad, this isn't going how I planned at all," Derrick sighed. "I've been mad for months since what happened to Sam. Mad at her. Mad at you. Just mad."

Lou held his tongue, wanting to reach and comfort, but instinctually he finally got it that every time he did that, Derrick backed off. He needed to let his son talk. So he silently and patiently waited for him to continue.

"That day we were skiing… Detective Williams told me to stay in the wake. He said the waves are rougher outside. Just going over the wake's ridge could cause a fall." Taking a deep breath, Derrick finally pushed out what he had wanted to say since the accident.

"I did it on purpose. I thought I could do it." He stopped, looking up at his father. "I wanted to impress you. I wanted you to pay attention to me. So, I DID cause the accident because I didn't do what Detective Williams told me to. All because I was mad at Sam and you." Tears were streaming down Derrick's face now. Lou's eyes were misty and he immediately went to sit by his son.

"Oh, Derrick. I can't tell you how sorry I am. Ah, man. So much for me being a sensitive guy, huh?" Lou was hugging his son from the side. An emotional, caring man, the guilt almost swallowed him.

"Even though you decided to do your own thing out there, it doesn't mean you caused the accident. Those girls were in the wrong and now you know that, too. Derrick, you are so incredible, you know that? I love you so much. I am so proud of how you stood up to Ms. Walken, proud of how you handle yourself in general. "

Lou leaned his head against his son's in a show of support. Derrick sobbed quietly. The waitress came over to check on them and Lou shook his head. She took the hint and left them alone.

Derrick choked out the rest of his confession. "Everybody saying how proud they are and me being a hero, just makes me feel worse. Detective Williams wouldn't be in the hospital if I hadn't fallen and panicked. He wouldn't have jumped in the water to help me."

"Derrick, it was an accident. You didn't run into him. The jet skiers caused it. Without them in the picture, no one would have been hurt. You understand?" Lou was quietly crying, tears running freely down his cheeks.

Derrick nodded, still cradled in his father's sideways hug. They sat like that for a good five minutes. Derrick finally finding some peace. And Lou, too. Their food cold, they could have cared less.

**/*/*/*/ **

Leo dozed, snoring softly in the lone recliner, Leilani cuddled in his arms and resting her head on his chest. Time stood still even as it hurtled along in their world. Luvie had not improved much since the night before. Even with the doctors having more information on the bacterium and positive results from her MRI, her temperature still hovered between 103.9° F and 104.2° F. At least it wasn't rising anymore, but it wasn't coming down either. Of course, the doctors had only implemented the new antibiotic combination an hour ago and it was too soon to expect results.

Not surprisingly, her parents maintained a bedside vigil and refused to go home. Their daughter's night nurse had been kind enough to bring in an additional comfortable recliner, but Leilani needed her husband's physical contact. She didn't really sleep. Continually crying, she just couldn't close her eyes for very long. She didn't know if she'd be bringing her daughter home alive. That thought just devastated her.

**/*/*/*/**

Steve forced Grace to leave with Kono hours ago. Glancing at his watch, he couldn't believe so much time had passed since she left. He sincerely hoped she was able to get some sleep, though he doubted it. Lying on his side in the recliner, a pillow under his head and a light blanket covering him, unable to sleep, he stared at Danny. Grief consumed him. He hoped, he prayed, he begged God that the doctors would come up with a treatment that would beat this bacterium and bring Danny back to them. He couldn't believe this is where they ended up after such a promising weekend.

Reflecting back to a few hours ago, he tried to force himself to relax and be more optimistic.

_In a private family room, Dr. Liu and Dr. Mahalika had informed both Steve and the Carminskis about what the CDC had told them. __Steve had suggested Max consult with the hospital's lab personnel and the CDC. __Max had an uncanny knack at finding things that others didn't. __His help certainly couldn't hurt. __Everyone had readily agreed._

_Dr. Mahalika had laid out the initial proposed treatment plans for both Danny and Luvie. __The CDC recommended a broad-spectrum antibiotic combination. __Even though there were possible complications, this appeared to be the best approach. __The CDC had labeled the bacterium a 'super-bug' which meant it was resistant to treatment. __The antibiotics they suggested to start with, considered 'last resorts' under other circumstances, had shown to be most effective against this strain._

_Both Danny and Luvie would receive the antibiotics intravenously through central lines. __To avoid bacterial related sepsis or septic shock, they needed to be treated as soon as possible. __While Dr. Mahalika and Dr. Liu spoke to Steve and the Carminskis, nurses were already prepping both patients. _

Steve remembered her words.

_ "__It's going to take a few days for things to get better." __Noticing the panic on all of their faces, Dr. Mahalika had quickly added, "That does not mean that it won't get better. __We firmly believe it will. __We may need to introduce another antibiotic or two to the equation to eradicate the bacterium altogether from their systems. __The CDC has a few suggestions that will be tested first."_

_"__Working directly with the CDC, our lab and your Max, Commander, will work hard to find a complete solution. __Max and our lab are conducting tests separately and together to identify a possible third antibiotic to introduce to the mix." _

_"__As you know, the timeframe is short. __We have to get the detective's and Ms. Carminski's fevers down as quickly as possible. __So, everyone is working around the clock. __I know it's hard, but try to stay positive. __We will do everything in our power to keep both our patients stable, and, hopefully, improving soon."_

Remembering the Carminskis in that room hurt Steve to his core. Seeing Leilani's reddened and puffy eyes, Steve could only imagine what they were going through. His own grief over Danny was overwhelming. Steve knew if the situation were reversed and Danny was the one keeping watch, he would be devastated for them. His thoughts about what a great father Danny was just made Steve sadder.

Steve and Dr. Liu were glad that nobody else of the 5-0 team or 'ohana were there. The fewer people privy to the diagnostic tests, lab results and treatment plans the better right now. Steve could control the dissemination of information better. As it was, he really was the only one who should know the medical details outside of the doctors. As Danny's medical proxy, he would be the one to make any decisions should Danny not be able to. Steve's initial pride in Danny asking him to be his proxy, became an unwelcome responsibility at the moment. Steve's stomach clenched. What if the doctors didn't have good news? What if there was no positive outcome for Danny? Or Luvie, for that matter? Terror filled him.

So, now he waited. Waited for news from the doctors and Max.

**/*/*/*/**

"Auntie Kono?" Grace's soft voice drifted into Kono's ear. Dozing, Kono opened her eyes to see Grace staring at her, holding a pink bunny stuffed animal. In that moment, Grace appeared more like a young child than the strong young adult she was becoming, the stress of the day written on her face.

"Can't sleep, keiki?" Kono sat up and patted the bed for Grace to sit next to her.

"No. I'm so worried about Danno. He looked so bad. I hope he heard me." Grace looked exhausted, totally wiped out from an eventful day. Kono had taken her home from the hospital after Lou had left with Derrick. The Walkens long gone, Grace did not know what happened to Wendy and she hadn't asked. That alone let Kono know that Grace was worn out.

"I'm sure he heard you, Grace. Uncle Steve said your dad calmed down while you were there. You are your dad's angel. You know that, right?" Kono rubbed circles on Grace's back. Grace relaxed into Kono with a sigh.

"I know. I'm scared." Grace quieted for a moment, allowing Kono to hold her close and continue to rub her back. "What if Danno doesn't get better? What if he dies?"

Taken aback, Kono pulled Grace closer, kissing the top of her head. "He's got the best doctors, Grace. They'll find a way to make him better. I'm sure of it."

Kono tilted her head to get a better look at Grace's face. "You know, the best medicine your dad has is you and Uncle Steve. He loves both of you with all his heart; he'll fight with everything he has to get better."

Grace sat quietly. "I hope so. I love him so much."

Kono felt Grace's fear and wished she could take it away. "Come on, come cuddle with me. I need some hugs and I need to give some. The quicker we sleep, the faster we can get back to your dad in the morning." Kono hugged Grace and then made room for her in her bed. Grace crawled in, pink bunny and all, and snuggled up to her Auntie Kono, falling asleep to her soft snores.

**/*/*/*/**

The door to Danny's room squeaked softly as Dr. Liu walked in. Steve sat up immediately, knocking the pillow and the blanket to the floor.

The doctor motioned to Steve to come outside. He didn't want to disturb Danny, who appeared to be sleeping somewhat peacefully. Finally.

Once outside, Steve bounced on his toes nervously. "Dr. Liu?"

"Dr. Mahalika will be here in a minute. We need to talk to both you and Ms. Carminski's parents together. Max found an additional antibiotic that may be the answer to eradicating this bacterium. What we have to tell you affects both Danny and Luvie."

Not missing the Commander's anxiety, Dr. Liu put a hand on Steve's shoulder and continued, "I've reserved the conference room near the Visitor's Lounge. Dr. Mahalika is getting Luvie's parents and will meet us there."

**/*/*/*/**

**_~ to be continued ~ _**


	15. Drugs, Secrets & Hope

_Thanks again for all the reviews, favorites and follows. _

_Thank you to Storyfan101 for a great idea that will unfold in the next chapter or two. _

_And, thank you again, Phoebe, for your brilliance! It was fun to write that 'particular scene' with you. :-) _

**_Note:_**_ I am not a medical or pharmaceutical professional. Any information about antibiotics, clinical trials and such is deduced from my online research and some personal experience with one of the antibiotics mentioned. I have used my research to put together a fictionalized solution for this story. This is NOT real and should not be taken any other way. _

**/*/*/*/**

Entering the conference room, Steve was surprised to see a video screen set up with Max's face on it. Max, practically bouncing, immediately responded to seeing Steve.

"Commander, good to see you," he said, excitement in his voice.

"Max." Beyond tired, Steve responded politely, but flatly.

"Dr. Mahalika and Luvie's parents, the Carminskis, will be here in a minute and we can get started, Dr. Bergman," Dr. Liu informed him.

Steve sat on the side of the table nearest the screen. He anxiously tapped his finger on the table, his leg restless, keeping in time with his finger.

The Carminskis entered the room, Leo with his arm around his wife, who looked completely worn out. Steve felt their exhaustion. It added to his own. He wanted to know what Max had found and his impatience was showing.

"Okay, Max, what did you find?" Steve blurted out bluntly. The Carminskis had barely sat down.

"Commander, if you'll allow me." Max in true form, stepped back and pointed to a drawing with symbols, circles and lines. "This is the chemical structure of the bacterium we are dealing with."

"Max…" Steve interrupted, not wanting a chemistry lesson at the moment.

"Patience, Commander, patience. I will get to the crux of why this structure is important." Max needed to show his expertise and no one, not even Steve McGarrett, was going to short-change him on his important discovery.

If Steve's eyes were any indication, it was a good thing Max was in his lab and only appearing on screen. However, he could feel the intimidating stare and cleared his throat.

"Gentlemen and ladies, let me explain. This new bacterial strain is tenacious. The latest and greatest of antibiotics are like ants fighting Godzilla. A Superman of antibiotics is needed to beat this monster." Max smiled at his analogies to movies and superheroes. He didn't quite get the reaction he wanted.

Clearing his throat again, he became more serious. "The bacterium we are dealing with is an intelligent one. It mutates quickly and builds resistance to antibiotics as it grows. The two strongest broad-spectrum antibiotics being used right now for Ms. Carminski and Detective Williams are Vancomycin, Vanco for short, and Rifampin. The synergy of the two creates excellent efficacy for both. The permeability of the bacterium cell by the antibiotics is increased and also increases their ability to reduce cell growth. The shortfall for both antibiotics is the inability to completely stop cell growth and, therefore, eradicate the bacterium."

"Unfortunately, these two antibiotics and other current antibiotics on the market cannot stop the new growth process because the effective rate of the antibiotics is shorter than the time needed for the growth to start again. Increasing the antibiotic dosage will not work nor will it reduce the time gap." Max stopped to allow his audience to catch up with what he was saying.

"So what does that mean, Max? There's no hope?" Steve practically put his fist through the screen in frustration.

"No, no, I'm not saying that at all. Please if you let me…" Max started again.

"Dr. Bergman, can you please describe the solution that you believe will rectify this situation?" Dr. Mahalika practically begged.

"Ah, yes. I just wanted everyone to understand the basics of the problem. By isolating what each antibiotic is capable of doing individually and together, we eliminated testing antibiotics that cannot stop new growth. That left us with a small pool of new antibiotics to test. Of the ones I individually tested, there is only one that shows promise. It is called Walkenomycin."

"Are you kidding us, Max?" Steve gasped, surprise on his face.

"No, why would I kid you?" Max answered, perplexed.

Steve couldn't help himself. He burst into a nervous laughter, stunning Max. Even without meaning to, the doctors and the Carminskis smiled, too.

"Max, if you only knew. If you only knew," Steve said. "Please go on."

Still confused, Max stared at Steve. "Well, let me explain further. This new antibiotic shows in lab tests that it can be used in combination with Vanco and Rifampin to completely eradicate the bacterium."

He stepped back and proceeded to point to the pictures on the board behind him. Even though he had lost most of his audience, all except for Dr. Liu, he continued pointing to the molecular structure diagrams and how the antibiotics bind with the bacterium.

Steve and the Carminskis were speaking with Dr. Mahalika about the possible use of Walkenomycin to cure Danny and Luvie.

"Ahem," Max tried to get their attention again. Everyone turned to Max.

"This combination is not without side effects. You not only get the side effects from Vanco and Rifampin, but there is also a possibility of side effects with Walkenomycin. In lab tests and clinical trials, Walkenomycin has shown to have the fewest side effects of just about any antibiotic on the market. But there is no definitive documentation yet." Max nodded towards Dr. Mahalika to continue.

"Basically what Dr. Bergman is saying is that Walkenomycin is an excellent choice to use with the other antibiotics treating our patients. The problem is going to be getting the okay to use it because the FDA has not granted approval for widespread distribution. It has only been used in the lab and limited clinical trials." Dr. Mahalika paused.

"We may have a way around those complications," Steve spoke up. Leo nodded. "Mr. Walken, the CEO of Walken Pharmaceuticals, is directly involved in this situation. I believe we can get him to authorize use of the antibiotic."

"Can he work around the FDA? I have very rarely seen that be successful," Dr. Mahalika directed to Steve.

"I'll see what he can do," Steve practically jumped to his feet.

"The sooner the better, Commander," Max stated. "This bacterium is a nasty one. It grows faster than anything I've ever seen and gets stronger and stronger the longer it exists in its host. The combination of powerful antibiotics will be like the whole U.S. Military – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines – launching a full scale attack. It is the only thing that will fight this bacterium effectively. In addition, the dose-response related efficacy in time-critical situations such as those of Detective Williams and Ms. Carminski is a major factor here." Max paused.

"Anything else, Max?" Steve's sixth sense was telling him there was more.

"Just one thing, Commander," Max slowly began. "The bacterium can localize in the cerebral fluid and cause more destruction than in any other part of the body. If its point of entry is near the head, the time factor for effective treatment decreases tenfold. It if enters through a lower extremity, there is a little more time for success."

Sighing, Max added, "Detective Williams… Danny needs to be treated immediately if he is expected to survive the next 48 hours."

**/*/*/*/**

Steve dialed Mr. Walken as he was leaving the conference room. The Carminskis were more positive than they had been in the last 24 hours. The doctors were optimistic, but were concerned about the time element in treating Danny. They felt Luvie had a good chance of survival even if it took a day to get approval for Walkenomycin use; for Danny their opinion was guarded.

Even though Vancomycin and Rifampin were keeping both Danny's and Luvie's infections from getting worse, they weren't getting much better either. Steve was convinced more than ever that Walkenomycin was the answer. _If only, if only. _

Safety precautions had been established for both Danny and Luvie. No one outside the medical staff and Steve were allowed into Danny's room. So as not to introduce any other possible infectious agents into his environment, protective clothing had to be used and safety procedures followed.

Now wearing a gown over his clothes, a surgical cap over his hair, a face mask and gloves, Steve sat with Danny for hours waiting for an answer from Mr. Walken. Nervous energy permeated his being. His difficulty in remaining still had reached its apex.

Danny's continued distress, nightmares and fidgetiness upset Steve to his core. He did everything he could to calm and soothe him. He had wiped Danny down with cool water and soft cloths as directed by the nursing staff. Seeing Danny in all his glory didn't bother Steve in the least although he knew that if Danny was awake he would be squawking. Actually, he would squawk when he woke up… if he woke up. Steve stopped his thoughts right there. He couldn't afford to be pessimistic. He would not be pessimistic. He wouldn't allow it.

Standing up from the cramped chair next to Danny's bed, he decided to stretch his legs. Just as he stood, the morning nurse came in with an aide to switch out Danny's ice packs and to change him. Steve took the opportunity to leave the room for a minute, discarding his gown, cap, mask and gloves as he did.

**/*/*/*/**

Pacing the hall, Steve walked past Luvie's room where he heard Leilani sobbing. Steve stood just outside, unsure whether to interrupt or not. He felt their pain. Danny was in worse shape than Luvie. The only reason he left Danny's side was because the nurses were changing his ice packs and gown. Again. His best friend burning up and in pain, Steve found it terribly upsetting to watch, but he would never leave his side. Not now. Not until this horrible, unbelievable nightmare was over.

Luvie's fever had risen to 104.3° F. Her father and mother were by their daughter's bed, Leilani crying and leaning heavily against her husband. He had his arms wrapped around her, a solemn look on his face as he stared at his daughter's pale, lax face.

Steve decided to leave the Carminskis alone for the moment. Turning to leave he was surprised to see Mr. Walken approaching. Steve hurried to intercept him.

"Good morning," Steve smiled at him.

"How are they?" Robert gestured to Luvie's room.

"Not well. Everybody's exhausted and worried," Steve shook his head.

At that moment, Leo came to the door.

"Gentlemen?" Leo arched a brow. He had removed the required mask.

Steve turned around and said, "I'm sorry if we disturbed you. How are you doing?"

Sighing, Leo gestured to a few seats lining the hallway wall. Each took a seat.

Robert was the first to speak. "How is she, Leo?"

Shaking his head, Leo sadly answered, "Not good. Not good. Leilani is beside herself with grief. Luvie has not opened her eyes or moved much, except for the seizure, since we brought her in yesterday morning. Without your antibiotic, the doctors are becoming less hopeful."

"I am so, so sorry," Mr. Walken said, his arms leaning on his knees and dropping his head between them.

"Any luck on the FDA's approval to use your antibiotic to try and save their lives?" Steve asked, fearful because Robert had not mentioned it first.

"Unfortunately, not yet," Robert responded. "I filed for a _'compassionate use trial' _immediately after you called me, but I haven't heard back yet. I explained the urgency of the situation."

"Damn." Steve stood up and started pacing again. Leo hung his head and wiped his hand across his eyes.

"Look, my FDA contacts, my office and my wife all know to call me immediately as soon as anybody hears anything. Approval has to be granted by both the FDA and the pharmaceutical company for these kinds of exceptions. I have already faxed my approval to both the FDA and the Queens Hospital's Administrator. She is in the loop, too. If she gets called, she'll let the doctors and I know immediately." Mr. Walken looked at the two shaken men.

"I might have a rather unorthodox, and maybe slightly illegal approach, but I don't want to put anybody else at risk," Mr. Walken stated.

Both Steve and Leo looked directly, and hopefully, at him.

He laid out his idea. Steve smiled. Leo was surprised, but rapidly agreed. Anything to save his daughter. And for Steve, anything to save Danny.

**/*/*/*/**

As soon as she woke up, Grace immediately jumped out of bed. She had not slept well, even cuddled up with Kono. Waking up once in the middle of the night, Grace and Kono had had a long conversation; Kono trying everything she knew to comfort Danny's daughter, understanding how hard it was on her to know how sick her father was.

Now as the sun came up, Grace was impatient. "Come on, Auntie Kono. Let's go. We need to get this done in a hurry. I just KNOW this is going to help Danno. I hope the doctors don't mind." Grace's exuberance infectious, Kono laughed as they headed out the door.

Leaving for the mall, Grace and Kono were on a mission. Kono, for her part, wanted to make things better for Grace. Kono had explained what a _'superbug'_ was to her. What came out of that conversation was a project that would only take an hour or two, but they needed to get the supplies.

So, Kono agreed to take Grace shopping, stopping for an early breakfast. _Only all-night diners would be open this early in the morning_ she chuckled to herself.

Afterwards, Kono dropped Grace at the Grover's since neither she nor Lou's children were going to school that day. Renee happily agreed to help Grace with her project, thinking that maybe Samantha and even Derrick could help.

With Stan's business trip being extended, Rachel and Stan were still not back from Maui. Steve and the team had agreed to take care of Grace until they returned.

Grace safely stowed at the Grover's for the day, Kono drove to Chin's to pick him up. They were meeting Steve at the hospital for some _'secret'_ mission. She couldn't wait to find out what that was all about.

**/*/*/*/**

Mr. Walken stared at Steve with sheer panic on his face. "Oh my God! I forgot Wendy! My wife is going to kill me and Wendy's going to be ticked off at me for sure." Smacking his forehead with his hand, he quickly said his goodbyes to the group and ran out of the room leaving Steve laughing and gasping for breath.

"That's the best thing yet," he struggled to catch his breath.

"What? What did he mean he forgot Wendy?" Chin asked.

Still gasping for breath, Steve told him, "Wendy's court appearance got postponed this morning. She was so upset when she called her dad, Robert had made arrangements to see her. He got so wrapped up with us, he forgot."

"Oh…" Kono hid her chuckle behind her hand. "What's the outcome from all that fiasco anyway?"

"Well, the judge had a family emergency early this morning and the court could not add Wendy's case to any other judge's docket, so she has to spend another day and night at the jail." Steve tried to hide his amusement, but wasn't very successful. "So you can just imagine how well that went over."

"Uh, not well, I presume," Chin commented.

"Ha! Not well at all." Steve thought back to yesterday and how upset Wendy had been at being arrested. It was the right thing to do to that spoiled brat, but having to stay a full day and another night would be agonizing for the girl. A small part of him felt badly for her, but the bigger part of him said she deserved it. They had more important things to deal with than worry about one rich heiress getting her comeuppance.

**/*/*/*/**

"Come right this way, Mr. Walken," the prison guard directed Robert.

They came to a small area where inmates could meet with family, friends or lawyers. Robert saw Wendy and his heart clenched. She looked terrible. Gnawing on her fingernails, her hair disheveled, dark circles under her eyes, she stared at the floor. She didn't see or hear him come in.

He hurried over to her and reached out to hug her, but the guard put a hand up to keep him from touching her. Robert sighed and sat down across from her.

"Oh, Daddy," Wendy started crying. "Why weren't you here earlier? And, why am I still here? The food sucks, the sheets are scratchy and I have to bunk with three other girls who smell in a cell smaller than my closet. They're scary. And look at this outfit. They didn't get it at Bergdorf's. They took my sandals and I have to wear these disgusting sneakers. I better get my shoes back, Daddy. I hate this place."

"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry. Nothing could be done this morning about court and I got caught up with something at the hospital. Are you all right?"

"All right? All right? Oh, yeah, Dad, I'm just hunky dory peachy keen. What the hell do you think?" Wendy's voice raised an octave. The guard on alert, moved closer to them. Robert waved at him to indicate he had the situation under control.

"Sweetheart, please. If you get too upset or loud, they won't let me stay. Do you understand?" Robert tried to calm his daughter down. "Right now I am doing everything I can to save your best friend's life."

"Luvie? My best friend? Ha! Not anymore. She has caused me so much trouble. What kind of a friend is that?"

Robert smirked. "Considering she's been sick and unconscious since the accident, how exactly has she caused you trouble? If anything, I think it's the other way around," Robert said, his anger barely beneath the surface.

"You know, Wendy, I came here to check on you and make sure you were all right. Since your behavior is so normal, I know you're okay."

"What? What do mean, Daddy?" Wendy balked.

Standing up, Robert responded, "Well, sweetheart, I think this is where you need to be for the time being. I am too busy right now. I have more important things to do than deal with your temper tantrums."

"Daddddyy?" Wendy whined.

"You're safe, you're fed, you're clothed and you have a roof over your head. I'll be back in the morning in time for your hearing. Sleep well. Try not to cause problems with your roommates. You don't want to be here any longer than you have to, okay?"

Turning to leave, he glanced back, his countenance softening, and said, "I love you, baby, but I haven't been the best father. When we get this all straightened out, some things are going to change."

Wendy sat in stunned silence as her father left.

**/*/*/*/**

Returning to the hospital after visiting his daughter, Robert was pleased to see _'his'_ team working diligently. Roles established, each person knew their responsibility. The Walken Pharmaceutical's head biochemist leading the introduction of Walkenomycin to the antibiotic combination, she also would be the one working with the Queen's medical team.

Mr. Walken had used his contacts and pull to establish the team with the authorization of Queen's Administrator and Chief Medical Officer. He worked with them and the hospital's clinical lab manager to establish the necessary protocols. He assured everyone he would handle any fallout and he made it clear to everybody he was the responsible party. No one else. They all knew the risk they were taking, but felt it was their only option if they were to save two lives.

Robert's wife understood his decision and supported him. For that he was grateful. He hadn't filled Wendy in because he didn't anticipate her understanding plus she didn't have a need to know. His daughter was too self-absorbed to care anyway. That realization hurt him, quite aware that it was his fault Wendy was the way she was.

**/*/*/*/**

Steve and his team, impressed by Robert's decision, provided _'security'_ to the pharmaceutical/medical team to keep any nosy interlopers at bay. This had to be done under tight security and only those with a need to know were involved. Having sent Chin back to the office to work with Lou for the day, he and Kono were first shift.

Staying at the hospital the only option for Steve, he hoped this worked. He desperately needed Danny back. Well and whole.

Time would tell.

**_~ to be continued ~_**

_More Danny whump to come… but you should know by now this is not a death fic. :-) _


	16. Treatments, Fevers & Birds Oh My

_Sorry for the long delay in posting. Challenges with my eyes made updating difficult and got me down. But things are much better once more after many doctors' visits. Thanks for sticking with me. _

_This chapter includes a shout-out to my wonderful beta, Phoebe, in a rather strange, but true, fashion. You'll see what I mean… __:-)_

_And Storyfan101, a section just for you... LOL! _

_Only a few more chapters to go…_

*****H-5-0*****

Walken Pharmaceuticals' major players were all in. Queens' Hospital's Administrator set up a private room for the slightly nefarious goings on of the Walken team, which included two distinguished doctors from Queens, Dr. Liu and Dr. Mahalika, and the hospital's Clinical Lab Manager. There was an air of excitement of being involved in something that could make or break them. But there was no question the team wanted this to work.

Still delirious, Danny's fever had gone up and then down and then up again like an elevator and the doctors were concerned. The team busily worked to create the dosing schedule that would be most effective. Mr. Walken brought in his top clinical trial personnel to assist the Queens' Clinical Lab Manager in determining the dosage to response criteria. They had to do this just right. Danny's life hung in the balance. The team was fairly certain that Luvie would respond positively as she was more stable than Danny. Both would be closely monitored and tested; the results critical to ensuring the validity of the antibiotic combination.

The doctors had already given Luvie her first dose of Vancomycin. In exactly two hours, the addition of Rifampin would be injected into her central line. Two hours after that would be the initial dose of Walkenomycin. Blood draws, blood pressure, oxygen stats, heart rate, respiration, urine output and many other bodily functions would be monitored on an hourly basis.

Danny's treatment would start after the team had determined the right dosage and schedule for him. It was different than Luvie's because of numerous factors, not the least of which his condition was worse and he had other injuries to contend with. The fact that he was male, older and a different blood type all played a part in his treatment.

The clinical team would document every aspect of their treatments in the hopes that a definitive solution could be determined to fight this bacterium. If any other people were unfortunate enough to be infected they wanted an effective treatment available. As awful as it was, Danny and Luvie were guinea pigs. But being a guinea pig was better than dying.

**/*/*/*/**

Renee smiled at the scene in front of her. Derrick and Grace both hunched over a myriad of materials and supplies at the kitchen table, they were busy at work on Grace's _'project'_. Samantha was in the office/craft room and was busy sewing the edges of the royal blue satin soon to be decorated with white and red letters, sequins, adornments and, she cringed, glitter. Even though it was cloth glitter she knew what a nightmare glitter was to get out of things. She was not going to spoil their fun though. It pleased her that Derrick, Grace and Samantha could focus on something besides the bad things that had happened.

Wiping her hands on the kitchen towel, she walked over to the table.

"Anything I can do to help?" she asked the youngsters.

"Not yet. But maybe soon," Grace happily replied. Derrick's focus completely on the letter he was working on, Renee nudged him.

"Hey, you… you know, my son?" Renee laughed.

"Oh, sorry, Mom. Just really into this." Derrick didn't even look up.

"Don't let him mess it up, Grace," Renee teased.

"Oh, he won't. He's doing a great job. He's an _excellent_ helper." Grace emphasized _'excellent'_ and grinned up at Mrs. Grover.

"An excellent helper?" Derrick huffed. "I'm an artiste extraordinaire!"

Everyone laughed. Renee patted her son's shoulder as she turned to go check on Samantha's progress.

"How you doing, Sam?"

"Terrific, Mom. I love this color and the material's really easy to sew. What do you think if I put white cording around the ties? Make them stand out a bit."

"I think that would be really pretty. Or do I want to say handsome since this IS for a boy, so to speak."

"Well, he IS a man. Maybe I should make the cording a deeper blue or even black."

"No, Sam. I think white is just perfect. Wait 'til you see what Derrick and Grace are making. I can't wait to see this all come together."

Renee was thoughtful for a minute. She knew the project was a good thing for the kids, but she didn't even want to think about what Danny would say when he saw it. That thought alone made her laugh out loud. Reflecting on his current situation, her mood shifted a little. She sincerely hoped he would see it sooner rather than later.

**/*/*/*/**

Several hours passed before the doctors were able to determine the dosing schedule for Danny. Luvie's positive response had the team optimistic for Danny. The Carminskis had begun to believe that their daughter was going to be okay. Even with the Walken team working in secrecy, the relief in the hospital wing was palpable amongst family, friends, hospital staff and the team.

Dr. Liu, with the assistance of Dr. Mahalika, began Danny's antibiotic treatment late afternoon. Like Luvie, Danny was scheduled first with Vancomycin. His next treatment would be several hours later and then throughout the night. The doctors had already informed their own families and their staff that they would be working in shifts around the clock. One of them would be available to Danny and Luvie at all times. With the excitement surrounding the discovery of a possible effective treatment, everyone was on an adrenalin high. Not many, if any, of them would be sleeping tonight.

Not even Mr. Walken. Even though he was ensconced at his office and would not return to the hospital that night, he was excited and happy. Happy that he was able to help, even if it meant he might face repercussions from his actions. He didn't care. The lives of the detective and Luvie were all that mattered.

**/*/*/*/**

Steve was worrying the fingernail on his left thumb. Sitting next to Danny's bed he wondered when he was going to grace them with his presence. His dreams and nightmares were starting, hell **_were_**, driving him and his team nuts already. One minute funny, the next terrifying, it was hard to tell where Danny's feverish mumblings were taking them from minute to minute. The doctors assured him that Danny was slowly improving in spite of his continued delirium. Steve had given them his famous aneurism face clearly questioning their assurances.

He sat back in the comfortable recliner and put his feet up. He may as well try to get some rest. His shift wouldn't be over for another six hours. Yes, he had finally given in to the pressure of his team. He would go home, take a shower, get a good sleep and some decent food. He would let his team spot him. It had been three very long days and nights since Danny had been brought into the ER. Exhausting, traumatic and scary.

Steve reflected on the ohana picnic. What had been such a beautiful, fun-filled day turned into a chaotic craziness brought on by two inexperienced jet skiers combined with an inexperienced water skier. And Danny had paid the price. Again. It seemed every time he tried to help somebody, if something went wrong he took the brunt of it. Sometimes Steve wished his partner could corral his natural tendencies to protect anyone in trouble. Even if their trouble was, or especially if it was, brought on by their own ignorance and/or stupidity.

Steve sighed out loud. A light, albeit a faint one, seemed to be appearing at the end of this very dark tunnel. As his thoughts wandered, he closed his eyes, only to open them a minute later. Danny was stirring again.

"Fee bee, fee bee," Danny was almost whistling, very softly.

_What the heck, this time, _Steve thought. Touching Danny's left forearm gently, he quietly said, "Danno, you awake? You in there?"

Danny merely sighed in his sleep and tried to roll over on his side which was inhibited by all the myriad wires, tubes and other mechanical devices attached to him. Not to mention the brace which kept his right leg immobilized.

He grimaced in his sleep. Steve assumed it was in frustration from not being able to move or curl into his favorite fetal position. Steve lightly smoothed the wrinkles on his forehead, rubbing them gently with his right thumb. Danny calmed.

And then the unsettling murmurs started again. "Fee bee, fee bee," Danny whistled, smiling. Steve just stared at his sleeping partner. It obviously wasn't a nightmare, but this was something Steve was going to ask him about when he was more coherent and awake. If Steve didn't know better, he would swear the noises his partner was making sounded like a bird.

**_~ to be continued ~_**


	17. Progress

_Thanks for the reviews. Always appreciated. _

**Chapter 17 – Progress**

*****H50*****

Robert Walken was in a very good mood as he walked the hospital corridor where Danny and Luvie were being treated. Receiving a call from Leo Carminski early that morning, he excitedly had gotten dressed and made his way to the hospital. As he approached Luvie's room, Leo and Leilani were on their way back from the cafeteria and met him in the hallway.

"Good morning," Robert boomed happily.

"Hi, Robert," Leo said as he extended his hand which Robert shook heartily.

"How's our girl?"

Smiling, Leo responded, "She's doing great. I can't believe her turnaround in less than 12 hours. Amazing, that's all I can say." Leilani gave Robert a broad smile.

"Thank you so much. I don't know how we'll ever be able to adequately thank you," she gushed.

"No thanks necessary. I am so glad I could help. Nothing in my life has ever made me happier than this moment, except maybe getting married and the birth of my child." Slightly frowning, he continued, "I'm just so glad Luvie is out of the woods. Is she awake?"

"Yes, she woke up about 30 minutes ago. She's groggy, but aware. Her temperature has dropped to 100.1° F and the doctors are ecstatic. Dr. Mahalika is in with her so we took a minute to grab an early breakfast."

"Do you think she'd mind if I poked my head in to say _'hello'_?" Robert asked respectively.

"I think she'd like that," Leilani smiled. "There's no restrictions on visitors any more, thank goodness." Entering the room, Luvie was sitting up and even with a slight flush, she looked better than she had in the last few days.

"Hey, Luvie, it's good to see you're awake and feeling better," Robert said.

"It's good to be back," Luvie smiled at him. "I understand it's been a rough couple of days, not just for me, but for everybody else."

"Yeah, you could say that," Robert laughed. Thinking about Wendy, his face softened and the sadness was apparent in his eyes. "I'm so sorry for what Wendy put you through, Luvie. And, I'm sorry how I acted about everything. I'm just so glad you're okay."

"Thanks. My parents told me that if not for your company's antibiotic, I might have died."

"Well, it was a lucky coincidence that it worked with the two others to completely eradicate the bacterium from your system."

"I am so grateful for that coincidence," Luvie said. Getting more serious, she said, "I'm so sorry I lied about what happened. It was wrong."

"Wendy had a lot to do with that, Luvie. We'll get all that sorted after you are better and get released from here, okay?"

"Okay. By the way, how's Wendy? Where is she?" Luvie asked.

The silence in the room was deafening as none of the adults were sure what to say. Clearing his throat, Robert spoke up first.

"She's fine. Let's just say she's dealing with what she did and leave it at that for today. I'm sure she'll want to come see you at some point. Right now she's tied up with straightening things out."

Changing the subject, Robert told her, "You get some rest and I'll be back to see you later." He patted the top of the covers over her leg as her parents watched.

"Before you leave, can you tell me how Detective Williams is?" Luvie asked.

"As far as we know, he's doing better. I'm on my way to his room next." Robert glanced at Leo and nodded towards the door.

"Take care, Luvie. Leilani take care of her and yourself, you hear?" Robert said as he walked out the door, Leo following.

**/*/*/*/**

"I'm glad she's doing so much better, Leo."

"Me, too, Robert. You have no idea."

Putting his hand on Leo's shoulder, Robert pointed to the chairs in the hallway. Sitting down, he indicated for Leo to sit as well.

"What's up, Robert?"

"Well, I haven't heard from the FDA, yet. I'm surprised. I was sure they would contact me last night."

"That's not good. The doctors have already treated Luvie with the experimental antibiotic combination. And, I understand they treated Detective Williams as well. What does that mean for you?"

"I don't care, Leo. I really don't. All that matters is that Luvie and Detective Williams recover. I'll take whatever punishment the FDA wants to mete out. What happens to me doesn't matter."

"Damn, Robert. You went out on a limb for us. Let me know how I can help, all right?" Leo asked, worry and concern in his eyes.

"You just take care of your daughter and your wife. I'll be all right." Robert assured him. Noticing the look on Leo's face, he reiterated, "Really, I'll be fine. I already have plans in place for the next chapter in my life."

Standing up, he grasped Leo's hand in a firm handshake and pulled him into a brief hug.

"I need to go check on Detective Williams. He's not doing as well as Luvie, but I didn't want to scare her. I'll keep you in the loop." Shooing Leo with his hands, Robert said, "Get back in there before they send out a search party.

**/*/*/*/**

Dr. Liu came out of Danny's room as Robert approached him.

"Dr. Liu?" Robert queried.

"Good morning, Mr. Walken."

"Good news on the detective?"

As Dr. Liu removed his protective coverings, he motioned towards the chairs Robert had just vacated. Robert was nervous. This was not a good sign.

"Detective Williams is showing signs of improvement, but it is extremely slow. Normally, I would not discuss his condition with you, but this is not a normal situation. Without you, and without Walkenomycin, Detective Williams would be dead. There is no question in my mind."

Inhaling a deep breath, Robert closed his eyes. He wanted, no, he needed for the detective to recover. The ping of the passenger elevator doors announced the arrival of a new visitor. Without opening his eyes and without Dr. Liu looking, both Robert and the doctor knew who it was. The heavy footsteps had a familiar cadence to them.

"Good morning, Commander." Looking at his watch, Dr. Liu said, "You're not set for your shift for another two hours, you know?"

Steve ignored the statement/question. "How's Danny?"

"He's hanging in there, Commander. Detective Kelly went for coffee while I examined Detective Williams. He should be back in a minute."

Steve stood above both men still sitting in the chairs. His expression serious, he asked again, "So, how's Danny? Can I see him now?"

"In a minute. Please sit down," Dr. Liu indicated a chair.

"I don't want to sit down. I want to see my partner. Has he responded to the antibiotics? Is he better? Please, doctor. I didn't sleep much last night and I have to know."

"Take it easy, Commander McGarrett. Please," Dr. Liu attempted to calm Steve. Just at that moment, Chin came around the corner with two coffees in his hands.

Chuckling, he handed one to Steve. "Are you already trying to intimidate the doctor this morning? I knew you'd be here earlier than you were supposed to so I got you a coffee. So, what's the mini-conference about?"

"A couple of things really," Robert started. Steve quirked an eyebrow.

"Luvie is doing much better," Leo informed him. "Much, much better. She's awake and responsive." Leo had given Robert a sideways glance and Robert got the message.

"Oh, that's fantastic, Leo," Steve smiled, only slightly cognizant of the silent communication between the two men.

"She doesn't seem to have any side effects from any of the antibiotics, and the doctors are cautiously optimistic that she won't develop any. Right, Dr. Liu?" Leo asked.

"Yes, she has responded extremely well to the treatment. Dr. Mahalika is in with her now checking her vitals and for any side effects. We are very excited that she has responded so positively. We are hoping for the same outcome for Detective Williams. But it is too soon to tell right now."

"What exactly does that mean for Danny?" Steve asked.

"Well, as you know, we have concentrated on the infection and getting it under control. He appears to be responding to the treatment, but he is still very ill. Keep in mind, even though we have not ignored his other injuries, they have taken a backseat to the infection. We are still treating him for a skull fracture, a severe concussion, a separated shoulder, broken ribs and a badly bruised leg." Dr. Liu sighed. They were making progress, but still not fast enough for him. Or for Steve McGarrett for that matter.

Heaving a loud sigh, Steve finally sat down next to Dr. Liu. "I haven't forgotten. I guess I was hoping with the infection under control, everything else would heal miraculously." He let out a sarcastic huff. "Can I see him now?

"We have not removed his infection control status, so you still have to wear the protective items," Dr. Liu reminded him.

"Understood," Steve responded as he went to the bins outside of Danny's room to get the necessary items. Once he had donned the gown, cap, mask and gloves, he entered his best friend's hospital room.

**/*/*/*/**

"Oh, Danno," Steve whispered sadly. He took up residence in the seat by Danny's bed previously warmed by Chin. He folded the blanket on the arm of the chair, placed it on top of the pillow and placed both on the window sill. Returning his gaze back to Danny, he took his left hand in his.

"Danny, you're going to get better. You already are. Come back to me, buddy. We miss you. It's boring as hell without you. I have nobody bitching at me. Nobody can bitch like you can. You hear me?" Steve's eyes were misty. He was trying desperately not to burst into tears.

"S…s..t'v?" Danny's voice, muffled by the oxygen mask, surprised Steve.

"Danny? Danno?" Steve grinned. "Hey, buddy."

"Y..ou o'k?" Danny eked out.

"Ha! Only you, Danno. Only you," Steve shook his head. Without thinking, he placed his right hand on Danny's head and massaged it. There were still bandages around his head, but the blonde locks peaked up above the white like waves of wheat. Soft without the standard gel, Steve liked Danny's hair when it wasn't all slicked back.

Danny moved his head towards Steve's hand. Even gloved, the sensation from Steve's fingers was welcome. Twitching the fingers of his left hand, Danny tried to get Steve's attention. His only response was to tighten his grip on Danny's hand. If he could have, Danny would have jerked his hand out of his partner's strong grasp and smacked him.

Extremely weak, Danny gave up trying to reclaim his hand and let his head rest against Steve's nurturing fingers and closed his eyes, once again succumbing to the pull of healing sleep.

Steve didn't stop massaging Danny's head even as his best friend drifted off. The physical connection with his partner was what Steve needed. Even better was that Danny had recognized him and even though he only spoke three words, they were the best three words he had heard in 24 hours.

He briefly let go of Danny's left hand to position the recliner to be side by side the hospital bed. He pushed the recliner back to put up his feet. Laying on his side, he took his partner's hand again in his and continued to run the fingers of his other hand through Danny's hair as he closed his eyes.

**/*/*/*/**

Fully covered in protective clothing, Chin entered the room and grinned when he saw the position his boss and co-worker were in. If they could have, he'd swear they'd be spooning. Steve was softly snoring, his hand resting in Danny's hair. His other hand covered Danny's limp one. They were both sleeping. To Chin, it was endearing even given the circumstances.

He had planned to visit with Steve for a few minutes before he went home to grab a couple of hours of sleep and then head into the office. He'd just send him a text. Taking a glance back at the sleeping partners, he smiled. He slowly and quietly left the room.

He bumped into Dr. Liu and Dr. Mahalika as he was leaving. Shushing them, he led them away from the door.

"They look like they're both sleeping comfortably at the moment. You don't have to wake them, do you?"

"No, no, not at all," Dr. Liu immediately spoke up.

"We just came up to deliver some good news," Dr. Mahalika added.

"Yeah?" Chin asked.

"Yes, we have the blood test results back on both Ms. Carminski and Detective Williams. Do you mind if I get Mr. and Mrs. Carminski?" Dr. Mahalika asked.

"Sure. No problem." Dr. Mahalika turned and walked towards Luvie's room.

"The detective's results show improvement," Dr. Liu informed Chin. "We still don't know of any possible side effects, but all in all, I think we have the infection under control."

"That's good. That's really good." Chin said thoughtfully. "What about the rest of his injuries?"

Sighing, Dr. Liu answered, "He still has a long way to go. He won't be getting out of here any time soon."

"Yeah, I'm sure. We were so worried about the infection, we sort of lost sight of the fact that he has a lot of other problems to deal with." Chin stated sadly.

"I know it's hard not to worry, but I believe he's really turned a corner. His temperature has dropped to 101.2° F, a tremendous improvement over where it was just yesterday. It has steadily decreased and has not gone up again since we started the new antibiotics. He still has several rounds of antibiotics to go, but I am very optimistic."

"I'm glad to hear it."

Dr. Mahalika and the Carminskis met them in the hallway. Acknowledging them, Chin nodded at Leo and Leilani.

"The Carminskis don't mind us discussing their daughter's case with you, Detective Kelly, as her results could be pertinent to the detective's treatment. She is doing quite well and has responded positively to the antibiotics. The superficial wounds on her leg are starting to heal. Quite frankly, we are stunned at how quickly she is recovering. This is a major breakthrough with this bacterium. Not only is Luvie going to recover, but we now have an effective treatment for others who may be exposed. We can't thank you enough for letting Luvie be used as a scientific experiment." Dr. Mahalika directed her last comments to Leo and Leilani.

Slightly laughing, Leo responded, "Think nothing of it. I'd rather her be a scientific experiment that survived than one that didn't."

"Oh, I am so sorry. That sounded awful didn't it?" Dr. Mahalika started to blush.

"No, no, it's fine. I knew what you meant." Leo hugged Leilani as a tear leaked out of her eye.

Dr. Mahalika grasped her hand and offered her support. "I am just so glad that the Walken Team found a solution. You have no idea."

"Us, too," Leilani said.

**/*/*/*/**

Robert Walken had unfinished business. After he had stopped at the hospital early in the morning, he had briefly returned to his office before going to meet Wendy at the courtroom. It had been two days for Wendy and Robert felt a little guilty. He only hoped his daughter learned something from this experience. Her appearance in court was scheduled for 10:00 am and he didn't want to be late.

He shoved paperwork he could do at home into his briefcase and prepared to leave. Buzzing his administrative assistant, he let her know he'd be leaving for the day and to forward any important messages to him immediately.

Walking out of his office, he was surprised to see his friend from the FDA coming through the main glass doors.

"Hey, Joe. What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you about a certain clinical trial for which you wanted approval."

"Yeah, and?"

"The approval got lost and was misplaced last night. You should have had it then. However, I'm giving it to you now. Officially."

"Great. Listen, I'm in a hurry. I have to be in court in less than an hour. Is there anything else I can do for you right now?" Keenly aware that he had bypassed protocol, he wanted to delay this discussion.

"We need to talk, but it can wait. Just not too long. Okay? I don't know how long I can hold the wolves at bay." His friend tried to warn him.

"Got it. I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Give the paperwork to my administrative assistant. She knows what to do with it." Robert said hurrying out the door.

**/*/*/*/**

Steve slept soundly for a few hours, even though his position wasn't conducive to it. Exhaustion and worry had taken its toll. Being with Danny was the balm he needed. Unfortunately, his sleep was going to be disturbed once again.

Waking briefly, Danny jerked. Moving his left hand had woken Steve.

"Danny?" Steve looked at Danny's face. Eyes barely open, Danny stared back at Steve.

"Hey, prt'nr… wt'cha doin' 'ere?" Sounds still muffled by the oxygen mask, the words hit Steve's funny bone and he burst out laughing, much to Danny's dismay. He tenderly took Danny's left hand in both of his and smiled.

"Just glad you're back, buddy. Just glad you're back."

**_~ to be continued ~_**


	18. Truth, Lies and Compromise

_Sorry for the long delay in posting. Real life just keeps kicking me in the butt. I'm not going to bore you with the gory details, just know I __am__ going to finish this 'short' story this year. After all, it IS a birthday present for Wenwalke (whose birthday was at the end of January. It might be finished by her birthday in January 2016. Ha! How's that for a birthday gift that keeps on giving?) _

_All joking aside, there are only a few chapters left. Another one will be up by next Friday at the latest. _

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 18**

*****H50*****

Wendy fidgeted as she stood in front of the bench in her prison-issued orange jumpsuit, hands and legs shackled. Her father by her side, his right hand rested gently on her left arm. The court-appointed lawyer stood to her right. Unbeknownst to her, all of the players in the room knew that much of what was occurring was a part of the _'scared straight'_ approach to first-time, teenage offenders. The lawyer, a friend of Steve's, and the judge had had discussions with both Steve and Wendy's father prior to the courtroom appearance. Her punishment already decided.

"All rise." The bailiff announced the arrival of the judge.

Still standing, Wendy shuddered when she saw the tall, Hawaiian, female judge. She looked stern, solemn and foreboding. Her father tightened his hand on her arm.

"You may be seated," the judge stated as she sat behind the bench. Looking up at her, Wendy had never been quite so terrified in her life. Two days in the juvenile detention center had been enough for her. The thought of being in prison for any longer, petrified her. She would cry, plead on her knees, beg for forgiveness, anything to not have to go back. She also didn't know that the juvenile detention center was tame compared to what life would be like in 'real' jail. Her father never wanted her to find out, sincerely hoping this experience changed her for the better.

"All right, let's get started," the judge said looking down at the paperwork in front of her. "Ms. Wendy Walken, charged with impeding due process in an accident that injured a one Detective Daniel Williams and a Ms. Luvie Carminski, on Saturday, March 21, 2015." Pausing for only a second, she looked directly at Wendy and stated firmly, "How do you plead?"

Her voice quivering, Wendy said, "Guilty, your Honor." She barely whispered.

"Could you speak up, please?" the judge ordered.

"Guilty, your Honor," Wendy practically shouted this time garnering a few chuckles from the court room observers and a small wry smile from the judge. Even the bailiff tried to hide a grin.

Going over all the evidence and line by line of the accident day's events to the time of Luvie's admission to the hospital, the judge summarized the reasons for the charges against Wendy.

"Do you agree or disagree with any or all of what I just summarized?" the judge asked.

"I agree with all of it, your Honor." Wendy hung her head. Again barely whispering, but knowing the judge could hear her, she added, "And I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused."

"Very well. Your apologies would be better served by giving them to the people who have been hurt by your actions."

Wendy just hung her head lower, a lone tear trailing down her cheek. She really did feel terrible. She was scared out of her mind about what would happen to her. A small part of her felt badly for Luvie and Detective Williams. However, her narcissism was still firmly in place. Infrequent guilt and empathy darted in and out of her consciousness which only served to confuse her.

The judge noticed her emotions, but did not comment on them. Instead, she continued with the punishment phase of the proceedings.

"I have had several discussions with Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett, Detective Williams' partner and head of 5-0, HPD officers involved, the Ocean Rescue unit that responded to the accident and hospital security. You are very lucky, Ms. Walken. Lt. Commander McGarrett, although very angry with you, presented his ideas for your punishment to me. I took his suggestions and I have determined the following sentence to be adequate." She paused.

Wendy looked up at the judge. Terror filled her eyes. _Shit. Shit. Shit. McGarrett? Damn, he hated her._

"You will be on probation for a period of 12 months. Any violation of your probation will not be looked upon kindly and I guarantee you, I will not be as lenient if that happens. Do you understand?"

"Yes, m'am," Wendy answered. What stood out in her mind was the word _'lenient'_. She held her breath.

"All right. First, you will enroll in an ocean and water safety course and take and pass the test for operating a jet ski in Hawaii."

_Okay, she could handle that. It might even be fun. _

"Second, you will prepare and present water safety and requirements in Hawaii at all junior high and high schools on all the Hawaiian Islands. Part of your presentation will include what happened in the accident you caused, your subsequent lying about events and what you learned from your experience. Lt. Commander McGarrett and Ocean Rescue will review your presentation prior to you giving it to anyone."

_I will not whine. I will not whine. Stop it. Do not show your fear. _

"Third, you will perform 200 hours of community service for the homeless and less fortunate of Honolulu over a period of 50 weeks, 4 hours a week, during your probationary period. This community service will be performed on weekends except during holidays when you will serve meals to this same segment of our society. The holiday meal service portion of your community service is in addition to the mandatory 200 hours imposed by this court."

_Crap! Are you kidding me? What about having a life? _

"I assure you, you will have time for classes and some extracurricular activities," the judge said as if reading her mind. "However, you will be monitored during your probationary period by your assigned probation officer and through the offices of 5-0. You will report to Lt. Commander McGarrett once a week at a time to be determined by him until Detective Williams is released from the hospital and back on duty. At that time, you will report to Detective Williams once a week instead of Lt. Commander McGarrett."

"Do you understand the requirements of your probation?" the judge asked sternly.

"Yes, m'am." Wendy stood quietly. _Detective Williams? Shit. He had to hate her more than McGarrett did. Maybe he wouldn't make it. That would take one less stress off her._ She nervously shuffled her feet.

"Well, then," the judge started, her voice slightly softer, "I hope you truly understand how easy you have gotten off. If not for Commander McGarrett, your punishment would have been much more severe."

"I understand," Wendy murmured. _Understand? Yeah, right. I can give you lip service. Yesiree, lip service it is. _

"Very well. A verdict of guilty as charged, the terms of your sentence and the reporting requirements have been entered into the court records. As long as you follow all the requirements and complete your probation satisfactorily, at the end of your probationary period, your record will be expunged."

Wendy couldn't help a slight smile. Noticing, the judge added, "Remember, any problems at all with the law in the next 12 months and your record stands. In addition, I will not be as understanding next time."

Wiping the smile off her face, Wendy nodded. _Damnit. Be careful, stupid. You can't let the judge see you smirk. _She was taken in the back to change clothes and then released into her father's custody.

She knew she had a long road in front of her, but it was better than being imprisoned. Even though it wasn't part of her punishment, she knew she needed to talk to Luvie. _Damn Luvie, too. Miss Goody Two-Shoes. _

Wendy totally believed she was in control and could beat the system. She had no idea how much her life would change over the course of a year. Not at all.

**/*/*/*/**

The doctors were ecstatic that the bacterial infection for both Danny and Luvie was under control. Luvie was to be released that day into the protective arms of her parents. Danny had a few more things to deal with before he would be released, not the least of which was his skull fracture and shoulder injury.

Steve hovered as usual, only a hairsbreadth away from jumping to Danny's side. In and out of consciousness, Danny was aware of his shadow and truth be told he appreciated it. He was just beginning to understand everything that had happened. Bits and pieces had flittered into his mind from Steve's constant chattering in his ear. Chin and Kono had added their two cents when Steve took a break. Lou's deep baritone voice found its way into his consciousness as well. Never alone, Danny gradually became more aware of his surroundings.

Still suffering from intermittent nightmares, all in all, he was improving. His partner wasn't so sure. Danny hadn't been conscious for more than a few seconds at a time. And, even then, he wasn't very coherent. Steve had to admit though that Danny's coloring had improved. More importantly, the doctors had removed the protective clothing restrictions for visitors. That should have reassured him, but he was only starting to become cautiously optimistic.

Steve stood by, or more accurately sat by, watching and waiting for his partner to open his eyes again. Overly tense and anxious, he jumped when the doctor entered the room.

"Commander," Dr. Mahalika addressed him as she went to Danny's bedside.

"Doc," Steve said as he clambered to his feet.

The doctor smiled at him and motioned with her hands. "Stand done, Commander," she grinned. "I'm just here to check on our patient's progress."

"And?"

"He's doing better. The infection is under control. Finally. The graze on his head was the source of entry for the bacterium. And this nasty little critter has its favorite spots to show its destructive powers. Walken Pharmaceuticals and our lab have isolated pretty much how it works," she sighed as she pried Danny's eyes open to shine an offending light into them. Danny didn't move, deeply asleep.

"What did you find out?"

"Well, the bacterium attacks open sources first, obviously. It appears to prefer moving from the head to the feet and not the other way around. It is very intelligent in how it picks it targets. Walken Pharmaceuticals is working with the CDC to check out how it interacts with the heart muscle. Our testing on both Danny and Ms. Carminski has provided details on its interactions with the body and how to eradicate it effectively." Pausing, she added, "Just getting a little slap on the wrist, the FDA is not actively pursuing penalties or sanctions against the hospital or its staff for what we did."

"Yeah, I heard. Robert, Mr. Walken, is facing the worst of it. With him taking most of the heat, the rest of our little team is basically in the clear. He refuses to implicate anybody but himself," Steve added wiping his face with both hands.

"It doesn't seem fair. We saved two lives and provided the CDC with fantastic data to eliminate this bacterium if anybody else gets infected. You'd think they'd take that into consideration."

"They are. The problem is that if they let this go by without any punishment, it opens the door for others to get away with the same sort of thing."

"Well, I wouldn't mind that so much if it saves lives, you know?" Dr. Mahalika said as she finished checking Danny's vitals. Tucking the sheet under his chin and around the right side of his body, she turned to face Steve.

"He really is doing better. It's just going to take time."

"I wish he looked better. He always gets the worst of it when he tries to help somebody. It's almost like he's cursed," Steve sighed, moving closer to Danny's bed. His partner was sound asleep. Affectionately, Steve ran his hand through Danny's hair and gently scratched his scalp.

"Mmmm," Danny murmured as he turned his head into Steve's hand.

"Ha! He likes that, Commander. Keep it up," Dr. Mahalika encouraged.

Flushing bright pink and jumping back just a bit, Steve looked down at his partner. "You don't think it's weird?"

"No, not at all. Your deep friendship is obvious to anybody who sees you with him. I, for one, am very much in favor of tactile comfort for my patients. I've done studies on how human touch can heal. As part of my doctorate, I worked with comatose patients and their families' and friends' interactions with them. It was quite astounding and eye-opening actually. The results surprised even me and added a special significance to my final paper."

Steve stared at her and just said, "Oh?"

Laughing, she added, "Yeah. It is amazing." Pausing, she looked at Steve and put her hand on his arm, "Keep doing what you're doing, Commander. It's good for both of you." As she moved towards the door, she added, "You're a good man and a good friend, Steve." With that she left the room.

Alone again with Danny, he put his hand back on his head and gently massaged his scalp. Pulling the standard issue plastic chair closer to the bed with his foot, he sat down, keeping his hand in Danny's hair.

"You tell anybody I did this for you, I will kill you. Capiche?" Steve smiled at his best friend. Quietly, he whispered, "I love you, buddy." Danny slumbered on, but Steve was positive he saw a slight upturn to Danny's mouth as if to concur with Steve's sentiments.

**/*/*/*/**

Robert Walken stood looking out at the Pacific Ocean through the broad expanse of windows of his 20th floor office as the FDA officials were escorted in. Grateful his friend Joe had called and warned him of the impending visit, he was relaxed and ready to face them.

He had dropped Wendy at home after her court appearance. He had quickly checked his watch and hurried to get to work. His daughter barely reached the front door when her dad took off. Wendy had stood there staring at the departing car, not knowing what was so urgent.

"Gentlemen," he said as he turned from the window and motioned to two chairs in front of his desk.

"Mr. Walken," the obvious senior of the two agents responded, extending his hand. The two men shook hands while the other agent stood by. "My name is Tom Gardner and this is my fellow agent, Jay Thompson."

"Please, take a seat," Robert waved again at the two chairs. "Nice to meet you both."

"This won't take long," Mr. Gardner stated matter-of-factly.

Robert sat in his chair, very relaxed, and actually smiled at the two officials.

"This is a very serious situation, Mr. Walken. I see nothing to smile about here," Mr. Gardner pointedly looked at Robert.

"Oh, no, I assure you I'm not taking the situation lightly," Robert responded comfortably leaning back in his chair.

"Good, then let's get to the problem at hand," Mr. Gardner said as he opened his briefcase and began to pull out several official looking documents.

"Let me make it easy on you both," Robert said as he stood up. Both FDA agents looked up, a little startled. Robert walked around his desk and leaned against it in front of the agents.

"I know what I did was a little unorthodox…"

"Unorthodox?" snorted both agents.

"I'll tell you what. Why don't you tell me what's in those important looking documents and then we can discuss the options." Looking at his opponents, Robert crossed his arms in a non-defensive manner and waited.

"Well," Agent Gardner started, "you didn't follow protocol to get an authorization for a Compassionate Use Trial to use Walkenomycin for two patients at Queens' Medical Center." The agent stopped to assess Robert's reaction. It made him a little uneasy that Mr. Walken was taking this all so nonchalantly.

"Go on," was Robert's only comment.

"Even though the FDA officially okay'd the Compassionate Use Trial a day after your request, we have it on good authority that you proceeded to use the antibiotic on those two patients within several hours of your request."

"Yes," Robert simply replied.

"That is serious enough for the FDA to impose sanctions against Walken Pharmaceuticals and you, specifically. It is not okay to not follow FDA protocols for any kind of clinical trial."

"Okay, I get that," Robert said and waited for the agent to continue.

"We have official documents with the penalties to be imposed. There are three sanctions against your company and six against you, personally," the agent continued.

"Wow, that's quite hefty considering we saved two peoples' lives by not waiting," Robert huffed, stifling his anger at the stupidity of it all. _Government bureaucracy! _"Are you finished?"

"For the most part, yes, except for the details of the penalties and sanctions," the agent responded.

"Let me look at what you've got there," Robert stated as he leaned over to take the documents from the agent. Walking back to sit in his chair, the executive rapidly glanced through the paperwork. Sitting back after his quick perusal, he made it look like he was pensively considering his options. His relaxed state continued to unnerve the agents.

"I truly think these are a little stiff. After all, the official approval for the Compassionate Use Trial did come, even though it was too late to be of much use to the two people in dire need. So, technically, the trial was approved and the only reason it didn't reach me on time was because of an FDA glitch. The patients are recovering nicely thanks to not only Walkenomycin, but the CDC and Queens' Hospital staff, who knew nothing about the non-approval, by the way. That is strictly on me. I let everyone think it was approved." Pausing, he chewed on the pen in his hand.

"Thank you for not pursuing any penalties against the hospital or its personnel. They truly did not know. I appreciate that. Not even my own staff knew and certainly no one in my company knew. As the President and CEO, I had the authority to make those kinds of decisions and nobody questioned it. So the sanctions against Walken Pharmaceuticals seem harsh and inappropriate to me," he continued.

Mr. Gardner started to speak, but Robert held up his hand to forestall any comments just yet.

"Yes, I know as the executive officer I put my company at risk. However, I don't see how penalizing all the good people who work for me and the excellent contributions my company makes to the pharmaceutical industry as a good move by the FDA."

Mr. Gardner sputtered and Mr. Thompson blanched.

"You are not in a position to determine what are good or bad moves by the FDA," Mr. Gardner said angrily.

"I'm merely suggesting that by taking that stand against my company could not only jeopardize the benefits of my company's work, but also affect the FDA's image and once more put a blight on our government's actions. And after all, the approval would have been timely if not for the FDA misplacing it. These patients couldn't wait any longer." Robert tried to not appear smug, but somehow he knew what he was going to offer in compromise would turn the situation into a win-win for everybody.

Mr. Gardner seemed to be mulling over Robert's words. Mr. Thompson sat on the edge of his seat as he looked first at his fellow agent and then at Robert. "You know, Tom, he has a point," Mr. Thompson said.

"Yeah, I agree. But how do you suggest we make this right then, Mr. Walken? We can't just slap you on the wrist and walk away," Mr. Gardner questioned.

"Ah, therein lies the answer." Robert couldn't believe the lead-in the agent had given him.

"What?" Mr. Gardner looked quizzically at Robert.

"I take blame for all of it. My company is in the clear and has done no wrong."

Once again the agents sputtered rising up to object.

Robert held up his hands and said, "Let me finish." With a dramatic pause, Robert quietly but firmly offered his compromise.

"First, I pay whatever penalties you want to assess on me personally," Robert said. Looking directly at both agents, he said with finality, "Walken Pharmaceuticals is cleared of any wrong-doing and continues business as usual. And then I walk away. I step down as President and CEO of Walken Pharmaceuticals. All the blame goes with me. I won't even implicate the FDA's mishandling of the request."

The agents could do no more than stare at him. What he offered was not what they expected. Mr. Gardner was thoughtful. He turned to Mr. Thompson to assess his reaction. He was nodding his head, also mulling over the offer.

Robert genuinely smiled at both agents. "It would be a win-win for the FDA, Walken Pharmaceuticals and, indirectly, the CDC and anyone needing what Walkenomycin has to offer."

Robert laid out his offer in more detail to the agents and by the end of their conversation, the agents were laughing and joking with him. Although they would need to get approval from the FDA higher-ups, they really believed Mr. Walken's offer-in-compromise would be accepted. From their perspective, this was right and perfect and would help a lot of people while improving the FDA's image.

**_~ to be continued ~_**


	19. And the Beat Goes On

_Yes, finally a new chapter. And others will come right behind it. The story is nearly complete and I will post at least once a week if not more until it's finished. _ _I know it's annoying when a story just stops and remains unfinished. For the length of the wait, I apologize. _

_For those who are still interested, thanks for sticking with me. _

***H50***

Waking up with a crick in his neck, Steve massaged it and moved his head from side to side to relieve some of the stiffness. It literally cracked. Stretching his arms high over his head and then his legs and feet towards the bottom of the recliner, he started to get up. It sure was better than those God awful plastic chairs. Looking over at his partner, he smiled.

Danny looked so much better. A bit of color in his face had replaced the sickening pallor that had been there for too long. He appeared to be sleeping soundly and, if the non-existent wrinkles on his face were any indication, stress-free or at least less stressed. That made Steve happier than he'd been in awhile.

The recliner, still close to the bed, made it easy for Steve to reach over and place a hand on Danny's arm. He needed that connection with his best friend, asleep or not. Even Danny's skin felt better, neither too hot nor too cold.

The last check by one of his nurses showed his temperature to be down to 100.1° F. Nothing worse than a bad cold or mild flu type of fever. His blood pressure, his pulse, all the standard checks were starting to be closer to normal range which meant the antibiotics had done their job.

He knew they still had a long way to go, but he was thankful the infection appeared to be under control and Danny was recovering from what could have easily killed him. Still worried about the skull fracture and concussion, he couldn't help his residual feelings of concern. Couldn't stop his sense of impending doom, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

**/*/*/*/**

Luvie was ecstatic to be home. Her stay in the hospital was too long in her opinion. And scary to boot. As her parents helped her out of the car, she paused to look at the gloriously clear sky. Her house was in a middle class neighborhood of Honolulu. Her parents couldn't afford it, but she would love to be on the water. _One day, one day_ she muttered to herself.

She had plans. Big plans. Finish high school with honors. Graduate from college at the top of her class. Get a good job. Start a business. Give back. Yeah, she definitely wanted to give back. She had a good heart. Whatever she ultimately chose to do, it would be in helping those less fortunate than herself, whether it be directly with people or animals or research… or something else. All she knew right now was that she really wanted to do something to help the greater good.

Getting her crutches from the trunk, her father handed them to her as she leaned against the car.

"Hey, dad?"

"Yeah, sweetheart?"

"Can we go down to the beach for a little while? I'd like to be outside near the water if that's okay."

Leo glanced at his wife and Leilani smiled. She knew that being by the ocean was therapeutic for her daughter. As a matter of fact, she liked it herself.

"Let's get you inside and settled for a bit. I'll pack a lunch and we can spend the afternoon at the beach. What do you say to that?" her mom asked.

"That would be great! We'll all go?"

"Yep. I'm off from work for a few days and I think it would be good for us to spend some time together as a family," her dad added.

"Fantastic!" Luvie exclaimed as she shoved the crutches under her arms and hobbled as fast as she could into the house.

**/*/*/*/**

"Hi, Mother," Wendy drawled sarcastically to her mother who was lounging by the pool.

"Hi, honey. What's with the attitude?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just frustrated with all the work I have to do to catch up with school. And then I have to do all that stupid stuff for my probation."

Her mother sat up from her lounge chair, removed her sunglasses and stared at her daughter. "Stupid? Really?" Her angry tone apparent, Wendy was surprised at her mother's response.

"Well, yeah, I mean… putting together a presentation on water safety and all is a lot of work."

"Ha! That's nothing, oh daughter of mine. You're just beginning. And, if you think school is tough, your assignments during your probation are going to teach you more than you'll ever know."

"When did you ever have it tough, huh, mom?" Wendy's sarcasm dripped like syrup from her lips. She was lucky her mom didn't slap her and send her flying into the pool or smack her hard enough to fly over it.

Sighing, her mom came over to where Wendy was sitting at the lanai's table. Taking a seat, she looked at Wendy with sadness in her eyes. Her daughter barely acknowledged her presence.

"Wendy, you have no idea. I think both your dad and I have been too easy on you by protecting you so much from the truth of our lives and not wanting you to have to go through what we did. He's spoiled you and I haven't been involved enough."

"What are you talking about, mom? What you've gone through? What? Did you get a sunburn the doctor couldn't cure? A bikini that didn't fit? Or did you stub your toe? Oh, horrors!" Wendy said as she rolled her eyes.

"I wish." Her mother was quiet for a moment. Wendy pretended to ignore her, Googling Hawaiian water safety on her laptop to help her prepare her court-ordered presentation. She had to leave for her course on water safety in a few hours so at least she got a short reprieve from working on the boring presentation.

Unable to help herself, Wendy finally looked up and asked, "So are you going to tell me or not? What possible horrible things have you gone through? I mean, really, you're just arm candy for daddy, you know."

Her mom winced at her daughter's words. "Wendy, you need to drop the attitude. Seriously. Then I'll tell you and you can ask as many questions as you want to. Okay?"

"All right, mom." Wendy powered down her laptop, closing the lid softly. Her curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to know what deep dark secrets lurked in her mother's life. She rarely talked to her about anything more serious than shopping. This had to be good.

**/*/*/*/**

Chin relieved Steve at Danny's bedside shortly after lunch. Of course, Steve really didn't want to leave, but he had important business to take care of at the office. And, he needed to see the Governor.

Sighing, he stood up, his hand still on Danny's arm.

"Okay, Chin, I'll go," he said reluctantly. "How's Kono doing?"

"She's good. She's was going over the case files when I left."

"Good, good," Steve said absentmindedly.

"How are you?" Chin questioned looking at Steve pensively.

"I'm okay." Steve rubbed his face. "Just need to freshen up a little."

He headed towards the room's bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. Staring into the small mirror, the dark circles under his eyes and the several days of stubble made him look worse than he felt. Well, if he admitted it to himself, he felt as bad as he looked. He was tired beyond words, but he would always have Danny's back no matter what, when or how he had to do it. He put his own issues on the back burner. And, a real restful sleep was one of those issues that would just have to wait.

"Okay, I'm outta here. If Danny's condition changes in any way, let me know immediately," Steve ordered.

"Of course."

Glancing back at his partner, Steve couldn't resist the temptation to touch his partner once more. Leaning over Danny's head, Steve placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"Get better, Danno. I miss you. We all do." With that Steve nodded at Chin, placing his hand briefly on Chin's shoulder and left.

**/*/*/*/**

The Carminskis stayed at the beach for a few hours indulging their daughter for a little while. They didn't want to keep her out too long as she had only gotten out of the hospital. Luvie seemed comfortable enough, lying out on a beach lounger with a towel underneath her and her injured leg propped up on towels. She had her eyes closed and appeared to be soaking up the warm from the sun. The cool Hawaiian breeze blew a few tendrils of her hair off her forehead and her ears.

Leilani, being a concerned mother, leaned over from her own spot on a beach towel and placed her hand on her daughter's forehead.

"Mommm…" Luvie whined as she swatted at her mom's hand.

"Just checking, sweetheart."

"I'm fine, mom. Just a little tired."

She went to pick up her water bottle sitting in the sand and dropped it. Frowning slightly, she attempted to pick it up again. This time she was successful and blew off her first attempt as clumsiness.

"That's to be expected," Leo chimed in. "Are you ready to go in?"

"Not quite," Luvie responded. "Can you tell me what's going on with Wendy? Everyone's been tiptoeing around the subject."

Her parents exchanged glances that Luvie immediately noticed.

"Come on, I'm not a baby and I was involved in what happened as much as she was."

Leo cleared his throat. With Leilani's silent agreement, Leo began to tell Luvie all the things that had happened while she had been sick and out of it.

"Wow," was all Luvie could say at the conclusion of her father's explanation.

"Yeah, she's in a lot of trouble," her mother said sadly.

"You know, it wasn't all her fault," Luvie added softly.

"Well, it certainly was!" her mother was adamant.

"Not really, mom. I was responsible, too," Luvie began. Her mother and father both cut her off.

"No, you were a naïve participant," Leo growled unhappily.

"Dad, I appreciate how much you love me and support me, but I didn't do the right thing. And, I went along with her story for all the wrong reasons. I need to pay for my part in this."

Leo sighed. Leilani looked petrified.

"What do you have in mind?" her mother asked, fear in her voice.

"I think I should have to do at least some of the things she has to," Luvie answered.

"Oh, no, no, no," Leilani grabbed her daughter's hand.

"Mom, I have to," Luvie gently removed her hand from her mother's. Even though concerned, Leo silently was proud of his daughter.

"What do you suggest?" her father asked.

"Well, I think it would be good for me to take a water safety course, learn how to pilot a PWC and get my certificate and…" she paused for effect with a twinkle in her eye, "and I certainly wouldn't mind teaching others about water safety, especially as it pertains to Hawaiian waters."

Her father smiled, while her mother wrung her hands.

"I think I know what you're up to, daughter," Leo grinned.

"Oh, yeah, what's that, Dad?" Luvie laughed.

"I think you and Wendy would make a great team teaching others." With his own eyes bright, he added, "and you'd get to visit all the Hawaiian islands."

"Yep, that's the real reason, Dad," Luvie chuckled. Her dad knew her so well – he knew that wasn't the real reason.

Becoming more somber, she stated firmly, "It's not fair that Wendy is the only one punished. I'm the one who hurt Detective Williams and I will never forgive myself for that. Never."

"You know, Luvie, the police haven't charged you with anything. At least not yet."

"I know, Dad, but they will. Even if they don't, I won't feel okay until I do something positive to rectify my part in this whole thing. Is there anybody we can talk to about it?"

"Yes, there is. And, I'm going to call him right now."

**/*/*/*/**

Sitting at his office desk, Steve didn't look up as he grabbed his phone. "McGarrett," he answered as he placed his phone between his shoulder and ear.

"Commander?"

"Yes, Leo. How are you?"

"I'm good, good. Listen there's something I want to ask you about. It's a favor of sorts and it might kill two birds with one stone."

"I'm listening."

Leo explained what Luvie wanted to do hoping Steve could come up with a solution that wouldn't involve Luvie having to be charged and/or to go through court proceedings.

"She came up with this on her own?" Steve asked incredulously.

"Yep," Leo said proudly. "She's feeling very guilty about her part in this and she feels terrible about Detective Williams. She actually wants to see him when he's up to it. She wants to apologize and see if there's anything she can do to help him."

"She is a very mature young lady and, in spite of what happened, you should be very proud of her. Let me talk to Sgt. Duke Lukela, HPD, and the judge in Wendy's case. I'll see what I can do."

"That would be great. Just so you know, whatever punishment is deemed appropriate, Luvie has agreed to go along with it without complaint."

"You know, I'm beginning to come to expect that from her. I'll let you know as soon as I get an answer."

"Thanks."

As both men hung up, each was smiling.

Steve even whistled a tune as he cleaned off his desk and headed back out to the hospital to check on his best friend.

**_~ to be continued ~_**


	20. Awakenings

_Sorry for the delay in posting. RL stepped in and got me off schedule. And I had to wrangle this chapter into submission. _

_Thank goodness for my wonderful beta, Phoebe, who did her usual stand up job; and Cubit2 who took the time out of her busy schedule to review the dang thing, too, and made some wonderful suggestions. And, then, I got nervous all over again and wenwalke made me feel better about it. In addition to her edits, she made a comment that had a significant impact to part of the chapter. Thanks to all of them for helping me get this chapter whipped into shape. _

***H-5-0***

Steve sat once more at Danny's bedside waiting for his partner to grace them with his presence. Danny looked more at peace than he had for the last few days. He'd given up the recliner for the hospital issue plastic chair. Its hardness suited his mood better. The last thing he wanted was to fall asleep in the comfortable recliner. He watched and waited for any twitch or change in breathing from his partner.

Dr. Liu came in to check on him and did his perfunctory "hmmming" that still got on Steve's nerves, but he bit back his anxiety waiting for the doctor's update. Steve tapped his foot, unconsciously giving away his impatience.

"He's doing well, Commander." Dr. Liu turned from his patient and looked at Steve's foot.

Uncomfortably shifting, Steve stared into Dr. Liu's face. "But?"

"There is no _'but'_ right now, Commander."

Sighing, Steve asked, "What about the skull fracture? His shoulder?"

The doctor held up his hands to stall any further questions. Sitting on the edge of the recliner, he placed a reassuring hand on Steve's shoulder.

"Steve, may I call you that?" Dr. Liu smiled.

"Yes, of course." Steve's shoulders slumped as he glanced at Danny who seemed oblivious to his company and appeared totally at peace.

"Steve, we just got the bacterium problem under control and from that alone your partner is responding well. His vitals are all coming into the normal range. Dr. Mahalika and I are optimistic that he will recover from his other injuries as well."

Steve looked up at him expectantly, the worry and concern still showing on his face.

"Now I don't want you to get your hopes up too high, too fast. It's going to take time. When Detective Williams begins to come around and is more coherent, we fully expect him to complain of headaches and possible migraines. His skull fracture and the resultant concussion will cause him some discomfort for a while, possibly up to several months. It is something we will have to watch. We don't know yet if his vision has been affected. So that, too, is something we will monitor."

Steve sighed deeply. He knew that Danny had a long way to go yet, but he couldn't help wanting him to heal faster.

"Don't worry, doc. I'll be right beside him to help where I can."

"I know you will."

The door to Danny's room squeaked as Dr. Mahalika entered. The doctors exchanged pleasantries and Dr. Liu motioned for them to leave the room.

Once situated on the chairs outside Danny's room, Dr. Mahalika got to the point.

"I just got the updated results of the MRI on Danny's shoulder." Smiling, she added, "And the CT scan results on his head injury. I brought the original skull MRI taken on his admittance with me, too."

Both Dr. Liu and Steve looked at her expectantly. They both wondered why she was smiling.

Steve's cell phone pinged with a familiar ringtone. He grimaced and stood up, mouthing _'sorry'_ to the doctors as he walked a few feet away to answer the call.

Steve ended his conversation and returned to where the doctors were in a quiet discussion. Huddled close to each other, he guessed they were reviewing Danny's case. And then he had another thought and smiled in spite of himself.

"I'm sorry, but I've been summoned by my boss. He said it's urgent, so I don't have a choice. I'm sure I'll be back in an hour or two, can we meet then?" he asked.

"Sure, Commander, no problem. I need to go over these results with Dr. Liu anyway. That will give us enough time to determine a plan of action and then we can fill you in. Does that work for you?"

"Absolutely. I'll call you when I'm on my way back."

"Perfect. We'll see you then." Dr. Mahalika gave Steve a dazzling smile.

_Damn_, he wished he didn't have to leave. For her to smile like that, it had to be good news. _Right?_

**/*/*/*/**

At the Carminski's, Luvie was lying down in her bedroom while her parents brought in the beach supplies and the leftover food.

"Do you think she's okay?" Leilani wondered as she looked at her husband.

"Oh, I'm sure she's doing all right. It's just been a long day and she's been through a lot in the last couple of days, honey," Leo reassured her.

"I'm just being a mom, I guess," Leilani said as she worriedly looked down the hallway towards Luvie's room.

Leo smiled at his wife and grabbed her around the waist, giving her a cuddle hug, as he called it.

"Leo, stop it." Leilani playfully slapped at his hands. She knew he was getting ready to tickle her and then she'd be putty in his hands.

"You sure, baby?" Leo growled in her ear.

"Yes, you big, bad wolf," she laughed as she twirled out of his arms, and reach. Turning serious, she added, "You really think she's okay?"

"Yes, I do. She's exhausted. Let her rest. We can talk about what she wants to do for restitution after she gets up. We have to wait for Commander McGarrett's phone call anyway."

Sighing, Leilani leaned against the kitchen counter. "I don't know if admitting her guilt is such a good idea."

"I do," Leo said firmly.

"But, Leo, what if…." she started.

"Look, she's showing a great deal of maturity and I think we need to let her play this out." He hugged Leilani again, this time more seriously. "We'll be there to support her all the way through, no matter the outcome, right?" He tilted Leilani's chin up. She nodded as a tear tracked down her cheek.

"Ah, honey, it's going to be all right. It is." Leo comforted her as he thumbed her tear away.

"I know. Really I do. My biggest worry is about her working with that despicable Wendy," Leilani pushed out, her real concern coming to the surface.

"Oh, I'm not worried about that at all. Luvie's learned a lot this week about morals, values and friendship."

"Yeah, I guess."

Leo twirled her around playfully again. "Look, let Luvie do it her way. We'll be there for her when she needs us. And, for Wendy, if need be."

"What?" The shock on Leilani's face made Leo burst out laughing. "Are you serious?"

"Very." Leo looked at his wife, no humor apparent in his eyes. "If Robert agrees, we'll be in her corner, too. Not to support her in any shenanigans, but to keep an eye on her. What better way than to have Luvie working with her? Wendy might even learn something from our daughter."

"What if the judge doesn't agree?" Leilani expressed her concern.

"Oh, I don't know. Something tells me Commander McGarrett has some strings to pull. Wendy's going to be on a tightrope, even if she doesn't realize it, and Luvie is volunteering to be on that same rope, albeit with a little more awareness. She knows what she's doing, Leilani. And she wants to make it right. We need to support her in that, okay?"

Sighing and looking down the hallway towards her daughter's bedroom once more, Leilani nodded and rested her head against her husband's shoulder as they stood in the kitchen holding each other in a tender embrace.

**/*/*/*/**

Steve made it back to the hospital in record time after his meeting with the Governor. Annoyed at the absurdity of the meeting, he sprinted down the hall towards Danny's room. He knew Chin and Kono weren't far behind. They had agreed that one of them needed to stay at the office and Lou pulled the short straw.

He heard the ping of the public elevator just as he screeched to a halt outside of Danny's room. Chin's unmistakable voice called out to him. Turning around, Steve was happy to see both Chin and Kono. He was at a point that he needed some support of his own.

They started to enter Danny's room and bumped into Dr. Liu on his way out.

"Doc, anything wrong?" Steve asked, immediately on edge.

"Hello, Commander, welcome back," Dr. Liu offered him a warm handshake. "He's doing fine. I finished my rounds and came back to check on him, knowing you were either on your way back or already here," he chuckled lightly. "You know you're very predictable where Detective Williams is concerned."

Slightly embarrassed, Steve heard Kono softly snicker behind him. He so wanted to turn around and give her his famous death stare. Only he knew that would only cause Kono to laugh harder.

"Yes, so I've been told."

"Ha! Well, Dr. Mahalika is in the Conference Room at the end of the hall setting up. Let's make our way down there, shall we?"

"Oh, yeah, our Medical Examiner, Max, asked if he could attend this meeting. He is very interested in Danny's case, not only as a friend, but also because of his connection with the clinical trial of Walkenomycin. He's working closely with Walken Pharmaceuticals, and your hospital's Clinical Lab Manager, to document outcomes from its use. His argument for being here is he wants to see if it affects Danny's other injuries in any way, positive or negative. And to do that he needs to understand the extent of Danny's injuries." Chuckling, he added, "Personally I think it's because he loves being on the leading edge of a new discovery and getting into scientific discussions with some of your staff. I hope his coming is not an imposition."

"No, not at all. He is a fascinating individual." Dr. Liu stated as he started walking down the corridor not paying attention to the soft laughs from behind him.

**/*/*/*/**

Dr. Mahalika greeted her peer and the 5-0 team warmly as she stood by the visual board at the front of the Conference Room. Everyone was surprised to see Max already in the room, seated up front near the doctor.

"Welcome everyone. Even though I was anxious to share with you, Commander, the news about Detective Williams' tests earlier, I'm glad now that Dr. Liu and I were able to confer and allow you time to gather your team so we could go over this all together."

Dr. Liu stood up and addressed the group. "Yes, and we felt it was important for you to understand the significance of the detective's injuries, so we decided to show you in more detail what we are dealing with. This is not to scare you. Actually, in many ways, what we are about to go over is very positive."

Steve, Chin and Kono were quiet even though Steve was once again tapping his foot. Not from impatience, but sheer nervousness because he didn't have control over the situation or what he was going to hear.

"First, let's discuss his more minor injuries. His knee may be problematic due to its previous injuries, but because his leg was under water when hit, it was more bruised than anything. His cracked and broken ribs are wrapped, but there isn't much more we can do for them. His right arm was a simple break and will be in a cast for at least six weeks. These will just take time to fully heal."

Clearing his throat, Dr. Liu continued, "Moving on to his more serious injuries, Dr. Mahalika and I have reviewed the detective's initial skull MRI with the CT scan taken today. The CT scan gave us a very clear picture of the fracture, and it produced a 3-dimensional image that allowed us to make a definitive diagnosis and to prepare a treatment plan. Combined with my initial physical examination of his head, we firmly believe that Detective Williams has a simple linear fracture."

At Steve's and Chin's questioning looks, Dr. Liu continued.

"We now believe that the impact of the ski with his head was flat surface to flat surface, i.e., the broken ski's bottom impacted the side of his head, and this is what caused the fracture. I don't mean to minimize the injury, but Detective Williams is very lucky. The fracture could have been much worse if the ski had hit his head at a different angle. The bottom guide of the ski caused the laceration as the ski slid across the side of his head."

"Okay, I get that. Basically the ski planed against his head." Steve acknowledged.

Dr. Liu smiled. "Yes, precisely. He has swelling and tenderness around the impact area, but no facial bruising, no bleeding from his nose or ears which is very, very good. There is no skull depression, the injury did not extend into the brain cavity and bone was not displaced. So there is no brain injury."

"What exactly does that mean for him?" Steve queried.

"No surgery."

"That _is_ good news." Chin chimed in.

"We will continue to monitor the swelling at the injury site very closely. The stitches in the laceration will dissolve on their own. As Danny becomes more aware we will proactively manage any symptoms or pain he experiences."

"I have to tell you, doc, that I thought it would be a lot worse based on how he looked shortly after the accident, and then all the time he's spent unconsciousness and out of it." Steve said, adding "And his delirious ramblings," under his breath. His voice trailed off and he shook his head as he leaned back in his chair taking several deep breaths.

"I can understand why you'd think that and how unsettling it has been. But keep in mind the bacterium was a major culprit in his behavior, or non-behavior, as it is."

"How can you be so sure that the head injury isn't worse than it appears? I mean it's still swollen based on what you've told us." Chin needed clarification. He was still worried.

"At first it was unclear whether the swelling at the laceration site was caused by the skull fracture, the laceration or the bacterium, or all three. We now believe, based on the comparison of the MRI and the CT scan, that they all were contributing factors to the excessive swelling. As you know, the bacterium chose the open cut on his head to enter his body. With the bacterium no longer a factor, the swelling has gone down considerably which supports our theories and conclusions."

"So this all sounds fairly positive, but what is the prognosis?" Steve calmly asked.

"Detective Williams is young and in good health prior to the accident, so his prognosis is excellent. He will require pain medication for the head injury and resultant headaches which we are sure he will have based on his medical history of concussions and migraines. You can expect that for a while."

Steve sighed and muttered, "Damn." He'd seen Danny when he had migraines and it wasn't pretty. It pained him and he felt so helpless every time Danny couldn't function because of one.

"There are other possibilities we will need to watch out for as he recovers. "He may experience nausea or vomiting, blurred vision, restlessness, irritability, trouble balancing, a stiff neck, confusion, drowsiness and/or fainting. And let's not forget the concussion as a result of all this."

Steve sighed deeply again. Just as the doctors delivered relatively good news they had to add on what _could_ occur triggering his fears once again. Willing himself to relax and listen, the doctors moved on to Danny's shoulder injury.

Dr. Mahalika noticed Steve's disquiet but did not comment on it. One of her goals was to help him relax, and by giving him more information about what was happening with Danny, she hoped to put him at ease.

"Detective Williams has an acromioclavicular separation or in laymen's terms, a shoulder separation. The second MRI taken today confirms that it has _not_ gotten worse while we were dealing with the bacterium issue. Dr. Liu and I have come to the same conclusions regarding a treatment plan."

"Isn't this the same as a dislocation?" Kono asked.

"No, they are completely different. Let me explanation by way of the picture on the screen." Dr. Mahalika had Danny's MRI up on the video display. She pointed to the area of the separation and in particular to the acromion, whereby Max nodded excitedly as he understood the physiology better than his co-workers.

Steve couldn't help a small smile as he looked at him. He was in his element. Extremely glad he had relented to Max's request to attend, Steve and his team just listened. Steve sincerely hoped he gleaned some information to help him learn more about Walkenomycin and how it interacts with the body. Knowing Max, he'd make some obscure observation that anybody else would miss. That's one of the things Steve actually liked about the guy. Focusing on the matter at hand, he turned his attention back to Dr. Mahalika.

"Let me explain what exactly the acromion is. If you see where I am pointing, it is a bony process on the scapula, or shoulder blade. Together with the coracoids process, it extends laterally over the shoulder joint here." She pointed again to the picture. "The acromion is a continuation of the scapular spine and hooks over anteriorly. It, along with the clavicle, or collar bone, forms the acromioclavicular joint. "

Pausing, she continued, "Yes, I know that is a mouthful. What has happened to Danny is an acromioclavicular separation. This occurs as a result of a downward force being applied to the superior part of the acromion, either by something striking the top of it or by falling directly on it. This type of injury is more likely to occur if the shoulder is struck with the hand outstretched."

"In my opinion, as Detective Williams realized he was about to be hit by the jet ski, he put his hand up in a purely defensive, reactive fashion as if to stop the accident from happening. I can only conjecture, but I believe the water ski probably hit his head right before the jet ski bounced down his side hitting the top of his shoulder at some point along its journey. Because of the position of his body, head, arm and hand, that is most likely how the head injury and the shoulder injury occurred. I should also point out that the general bruising, broken ribs and arm on his right side were a direct result of the, for lack of a better word, 'bouncing' jet ski."

Steve couldn't help his softly muttered, "Figures." Chin grimaced as he heard the quiet, disturbing words.

Sighing as she sadly looked at Steve, Dr. Mahalika continued, "The trauma to the shoulder affects the ligaments holding the two bones – the scapula and the clavicle – together. Even though Detective Williams does not have any fractured bones in that area, there are some soft tissue tears, i.e., the acromioclavicular and coracoclavicular ligaments. Aggressive sports enthusiasts experience these types of injuries more often than other less active individuals. However, it can happen in instances like the detective's. Depending on the severity of the injury, surgery may be warranted."

"What are you thinking in Danny's case?" Steve asked her, the fear in his eyes giving him away.

"Well, sometimes these types of injuries can heal on their own, but occasionally surgery is recommended to repair the tears."

"What more does he have to go through?" Not expecting an answer to his rhetorical question, Steve rubbed his hands over his face in frustration.

"Commander," Dr. Mahalika said softly to him, "we don't know yet whether or not surgery is warranted. The physical examination of the shoulder upon Detective Williams' admittance and the initial MRI showed a tear at a Level II severity. These don't usually require surgery. We'll know more once he is coherent and we can identify any tenderness or pain directly through his responses."

"Dr. Mahalika, may I?" Dr. Liu asked.

"Of course."

"Even though we focused our initial efforts on treating Detective Williams for the bacterial infection, we have not ignored his other injuries in total, Commander." Dr. Liu, upset, perhaps unrightfully so, wanted to assure Steve that the hospital staff were doing everything they could to help Danny, even if he was unconscious most of time.

"With this type of injury, the most important things to do first are to control the inflammation, rest the joint and ice it. We have given him an anti-inflammatory through his IV to help minimize any pain and inflammation he may be experiencing. Since he has not been conscious much of the time, keeping the joint still has helped minimize any painful symptoms he may have, even unconscious, and allowed the healing to begin. A nurse or nurse's aide has iced the joint every four hours for 15 minutes for several days now. We have kept the shoulder and arm immobilized at all other times except when a physical therapist has moved his arm to keep him from getting what is called 'frozen shoulder'."

Dr. Mahalika reached out a hand to her peer and friend to offer support. Interrupting him, she added, "We know how hard all of this is on all of you. Please understand our team is doing our very best to treat Danny and give him the utmost care."

"I am so sorry. I know you are," Steve acknowledged for himself and his team. "I don't mean to be abrupt or short with you. I just…" his voice trailed off.

Steve looked distraught and Chin placed his hand on his shoulder in support. Unfortunately, this just drew Steve's attention to the exact location of Danny's injury on his own body. Unconsciously he jerked away from Chin's hand. Chin instantly knew why and he gave Steve's thigh a gentle squeeze.

"I think we've had enough of a human anatomy class for now. We thought knowing some of the specifics might make it easier on you." Dr. Mahalika gave Steve a warm smile.

"We appreciate it. Really," Kono answered for the team.

"As Danny progresses, physical therapy and strengthening exercises will be a part of his treatment plan once he is well enough to participate actively. And, we truly believe that will be sooner rather than later. Until then we will continue with passive exercises performed by his physical therapist."

Nodding, Steve acknowledged her and knew he was going to need to lean on his team for emotional support to get through this. He just couldn't stop worrying. He felt it in his bones that something else was going to go wrong.

Although the doctors had explained the next steps in Danny's care, he still wished he had a magic wand to make it all go away and for Danny to be miraculously healed. There were just too many things wrong and too many hurdles to jump before he'd be totally recovered.

The meeting over, Steve couldn't help but go to Danny's room to check on his partner. Sighing deeply and running his hand through his hair, he stared at Danny for a minute before sitting down on the recliner and picking up his latest issue of Classic Cars, and tried to read. Less than 5 minutes later, he was sound asleep.

**/*/*/*/**

For the first time in days, Steve actually got some sleep. His team had sent him home after Dr. Liu and Dr. Mahalika had explained Danny's ongoing care. He had disappeared so quickly after the meeting they figured he had to be in Danny's room. They found him snoring. That's when Chin made the unilateral decision.

Chin convinced Steve to take a break, pressuring him to take as much time as he needed. But knowing how he was about Danny, none of the team expected him to stay away for very long.

That's why Chin was the one who was graced with Danny's first coherent awakening after the antibiotics had kicked the proverbial bacterium to the curb.

**/*/*/*/**

Steve didn't realize how tired he was as he kicked off his shoes when he entered his house. It was extremely difficult for him to leave Danny, but he knew his team was right. He needed some decent food in his system; a hot shower would soothe his tired muscles and then he would sleep. He'd promised the team he'd lie down, on his bed, not the couch; in sleep clothes or naked, not in his street clothes; and let his feet relax, socks okay, but no shoes. The latter accomplished as he came in the door, he left a trail of clothes as he stripped going up the stairs.

His team knew him so well. They wanted to make sure he went to bed like a _normal _person and not on high alert like an active duty SEAL would. Chin specifically explained how important it was for him to fully relax or why bother. After finally giving in to their arguments and demands, Steve left, secretly glad someone else had made the decision for him. He was truly exhausted – body, mind and soul.

Deciding to shower first and then eat, he made his way to the bathroom. Taking a look at himself in the mirror, he was surprised Chin or Kono hadn't insisted he be admitted to the hospital. He looked terrible. Scruffy, pale with dark bags under his eyes, his hair in complete disarray, he wouldn't have blamed them if they'd tried.

He tiredly went to the shower and turned the faucets to the maximum heat he could stand. He knew he should probably keep it more on the warm than hot side, but his muscles were crying out for heat. While the water warmed up, he took the time to shave.

He stepped gingerly into the bathtub and stood under the shower spray. It felt so damned good; he could fall asleep standing up. Foregoing his usual three minute shower, he actually stayed in for a good ten minutes. Shampooing and massaging his head, soaping up and scrubbing his arms and chest, he actually used the loofah brush Danny had bought him as a joke to scrub his back.

He felt like he had washed off two years of sweat, dirt, exhaustion and tears. Thinking of Danny, he leaned his head against the tile and allowed the pent up emotions that overwhelmed him to bubble up. Nobody could hear him crying, and he needed the release.

His worry all consuming and his emotions nearer the surface, he was shocked at the realization of just how deep his feelings were for Danny as a result of this accident and he didn't quite understand them. But it didn't matter if he didn't understand. His feelings were what they were and if Danny ever left him for whatever reason, he would never be the same.

Slowly he stepped out of the shower and quickly wiped himself dry. Wrapping the fluffy white towel around his waist, he made his way back downstairs to grab a quick bite before he hit the sack. He hoped Danny would be more alert when he got back to the hospital, so he wanted to be sure he was well rested when he returned.

**/*/*/*/**

Danny woke up slowly and quietly. Looking around the room, he glanced in Chin's direction, fully expecting to see Steve. His vision a little blurry and hazy, when he finally made out the person in the recliner, a small smile appeared on his face. Chin was dozing with a magazine about to drop off his lap. He didn't want to wake him up, so he just stared at him for a minute before it slipped to the floor, which inevitably awakened Chin.

Danny chuckled as Chin snapped to attention when he felt the magazine leave his lap. As it had fallen, Danny saw the cover – Kono's Hawaiian Surfer – and couldn't quite stifle the laugh. Kono he could see reading that, but Chin? Not so much. _He must be really bored, he thought. _

As Chin picked up the fallen reading material, he glanced in Danny's direction.

"Hey, Danny! Glad to see you awake." Chin was on his feet and by Danny's bedside in less than 10 seconds.

"No need to hurry," Danny croaked, his throat dry from non-use. "Not going anywhere."

He grimaced as he tried to move. The only real movable part of his body was his left hand and arm. Even though uninjured, his left leg and foot felt dead. He knew they weren't injured, but lying in a bed for almost a week and mostly out of it, they probably had gone to sleep days ago and he wasn't sure when they were going to wake up. And he hated that tingly feeling when a body part goes to sleep and decides to wake up.

Chin quickly grabbed the standard cup of water and ice chips and pointed to it with his finger. "Which do you want?"

"Chip."

Chin scooped an ice chip out of the cup with the plastic spoon and very carefully slipped it between Danny's lips, glad the oxygen mask had gone and replaced by a nasal cannula.

"You know, we shouldn't be so used to ice chips as a throat soother," Chin smiled.

"No, shit," Danny grumbled as he sucked on the chip.

Chin couldn't help but chuckle. "I was terribly disappointed this trip to the hospital," he said seriously.

Danny looked up at him quizzically. "Why? What's different this time?"

"I fully expected to see a sign directing us to the 5-0 Wing," Chin deadpanned, causing Danny to choke.

"Oh, my God!" Danny was trying hard not to laugh as it turned into a cough and caused spasms in his broken ribs. It hurt, but the thought of a 5-0 hospital wing just cracked him up.

"Geeze, Danny, sorry," Chin's smile dropped as he raised Danny's bed to a more upright position.

Danny weakly waved his left hand to indicate that the bed position was good. He finally had the cough under control, but the grin wouldn't leave his face.

"Too funny, Chin." Danny whispered quietly as he relaxed when Chin scooped another ice chip for him. "Wonder why nobody has asked the Governor for funds to do that." Eking that long sentence out, Danny started to cough again.

"Stop, Danny." Chin started to lose it again. The thought _was _funny, but so appropriate as each member of the team had spent enough time in all of Oahu's hospitals to make the suggestion not too far from what could be. Add in their occasional stints in some of the other islands' hospitals and it could gain momentum if suggested to the Governor. Mulling it over, Chin finally muttered, "Nah," at the exact time Danny murmured, "I don't think so," which caused them both to laugh all over again. Danny clutched his bad ribs with his left hand and arm to support them, but he truly couldn't stop laughing – and neither could Chin.

That lasted a short time as the nurse came in after hearing the laughter and looked at them both very sternly, tapping her foot like an angry mother or school teacher.

Setting both Chin and Danny off again, it only ceased when Danny's laughter turned into coughs, then hacking and the inevitable replacement of the nasal cannula with the oxygen mask. Chin looked guilty, but Danny caught his eye as the nurse finished her duties, and gave him a thumbs up under the blanket which caused the blanket to tent. He didn't want the nurse to see and Chin knew exactly what he was doing.

Trying hard not to lose it again, Chin grinned at Danny. Quickly hiding it when the nurse turned around to glare at him, he sheepishly crawled back in the recliner with his cousin's magazine in hand and buried his head in it.

Exhausted from the brief exertion, Danny had already dozed off, the momentary fun over. The ghost of a grin remained as he fell fast asleep.

**_~ to be continued ~_**


End file.
